Urbanization and Environmental Quality (Studies in Applied Regional Science)

The purpose of this monograph is to clarify the effect of environmental change on the process of urbanization. The research attempts to uncover the similarities as well as the differences across countries of the charac­ teristics of environmental effects on cities and metropolitan areas during the process of industrial development. Over the past several decades, a notable behavioral shift has been observed in many developed countries. People appear to be switching from an almost exclusive concern for material (commodity) consumption to a broader set of concerns that includes interest in so-called environ­ mental problems and in improving the quality of life (USEPA 1973). These new areas of concern include, of course, the problems of pollution, congestion, and, in general, environmental degradation in urban areas. People seem to be becoming increasingly conscious of the physical as well as the social environment. Richard L. Morrill described the situation in the United States as follows: Evidently many are still moving [their residences] for amenity values, into regions they like, irrespective of job opportunities. While movement to the traditional amenity areas of Florida and Arizona continues, there has been a dramatic shift away from California, or from metropolitan areas generally, to xv xvi INTRODUCTION the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, upper New England, and even to the Ozarks, Appalachia, and Upper Michigan. [Quoted in Berry and Gillard 1977, p.