Standing up against sprawl
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The concept of urban sprawl is not unlike many other controversial issues: everyone has an opinion and there is always going to be disagreement. When unbalanced, unchecked, and ill-planned development leads to a city where conditions go from deterioration on one side to an almost overload of abundance on the other, there is a need for discussion and strategies to combat the problem. A city flourishes when government, business, private industry, schools and its citizens work together to ensure that one section of the city does not thrive at the expense of others.

Springfield is a city of polar opposites — sprawl and decay. We must seek a remedy that addresses both of these conditions. Whether decay or sprawl, neither provides the quality of life residents of this great city deserve. It is impossible to address these issues until, first, there is acknowledgement, and second, a willingness to go against established practices that have gotten us to this place.

We must, without condemnation, deal with these issues to ensure that this city reflects both its history and its future as a stellar place to live, work and visit.

Gail M. Simpson, who represents Ward 2 on the Springfield City Council, will speak on the topic “Standing up against sprawl,” at the Sangamon Valley Sierra Club, 6:30 p.m. March 23, at Lincoln Library.