Adam Rome
Autor de The Bulldozer in the Countryside
Sobre El Autor
Obras de Adam Rome
Etiquetado
Conocimiento común
- Género
- male
Miembros
Reseñas
Listas
Premios
También Puede Gustarte
Estadísticas
- Obras
- 5
- Miembros
- 158
- Popularidad
- #133,026
- Valoración
- 3.9
- Reseñas
- 2
- ISBNs
- 11
Rome traces the development of suburban tract housing chronologically, beginning with the housing shortage facing the nation after World War II. Giant assembly-line builders such as William Levitt created tract house developments quickly, becoming in a sense national heroes. But these developments caused immense environmental damage. First, these developers generally scraped the construction sites clean of all vegetation and trees, paving the way for disastrous soil erosion. Creeks and other drainage channels were often eliminated in favor of storm sewers. Because these developments were often far removed from municipal sewage systems, contractors installed millions of unreliable septic tanks, leading to widespread water contamination. Despite early interest in solar energy, building costs led builders to begin advocating all-electric homes. Alliances with energy companies led to the widespread installation of electric air conditioning and heating, increasing the use of energy obtained from burning coal.
Eventually, housing developments were built in areas that were environmentally sensitive. Building in areas such as filled-in wetlands and hillsides created problems such as mudslides, flooding, and increased damage from storms and hurricanes.
These problems, along with concerns about the destruction of open space, led to a shift in emphasis from private property rights to a new land ethic.… (más)