Why Is Urban Planning a Job of Tomorrow?
Going green is not just a trend anymore. Out of the 1.983 billion acres of total land area in the U.S., 107.3 million acres is developed as of 2002, and that number increases every year as the population swells and cities sprawl out into previously untouched land, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. From 1990 to 2007, greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 17 percent and are expected to continue increasing by one percent every year unless major changes in life style and habits take place. The environmental sector will take off as concerns about the environment grow and the population begins looking to decrease its impact on the earth. Big cities, as well as big buildings, are responsible for the bulk of environmental stressors. Buildings accounted for 39.4 percent of the total U.S. energy consumption in 2002. To combat these figures, urban planners will be in high demand to help design more environmentally friendly cities, reducing waste and overall costs. Employment
