H1_Activity_Title - Mrs. DiMarcella's Science Site



Inquiry Activity • Paper and Pencil

Chapter 10 Patterns of Sprawl

Problem How are urban sprawl and factors that cause sprawl represented on maps?

Background

Mapping Population

Sprawl is the spread of low-density development outward from an urban center. Maps can be used to visualize factors contributing to sprawl, such as population growth and increased land use. To reflect population patterns, mapmakers take data from the U.S. census and apply them graphically to the counties surrounding an urban center. For example, by studying these maps over time, land use planners can detect trends in population migration.

Interpreting a Population Growth Map

In the hypothetical map shown here, you can see how outlying counties near a city have become more heavily populated, but the actual city’s population has grown by less than 5 percent. In the activity that follows, you will examine changes in population size and population density in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, and infer the effects of sprawl in the region.

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|Figure 1. The Typical Pattern of Sprawl is shown in this hypothetical map of a metropolitan area. |

[pic] Build Map Skills

Interpreting Maps Styles and arrangements will vary, but a map’s title and legend will always help you interpret the coded information the map contains.

EXAMPLE

• The map below shows population growth in the greater Atlanta area, from 1990 to 2000. The title (at the right) tells you this information.

• The legend tells you what each type of shading represents.

• The gray lines delineating counties are a standard representation, and are not identified in the legend.

• Except for the city of Atlanta, each label on this map names a county.

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1. What was the general pattern of population growth in the greater Atlanta area, from 1990 to 2000?

2. Would you infer from this map that urban sprawl was occurring during this time period? Explain.

Analyze and Conclude

For Questions 3–6, compare and contrast the two maps below to further assess whether sprawl was occurring in Atlanta between the years 1990 to 2000.

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3. Observe Which counties’ population densities grew beyond the mark of 250 people per square mile by the year 2000?

4. Infer Which other counties’ increased population densities suggest that sprawl was occurring in the year 2000? Explain.

5. Interpreting Maps If you were trying to find the population density in the most densely populated counties, would the shading and legend of these maps help you find this number? Why or why not?

6. Predict If sprawl continued from 2000 to 2010, what would the density map of the year 2010 look like?

7. Extension Use the Internet to find out where Atlanta currently ranks among U.S. metropolitan areas in terms of sprawl. By what sprawl criteria is Atlanta performing most poorly? What is being done, if anything, to counteract these problems?

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