Urban vs. Rural Life- which is more sustainable?

I think many people take it for granted that rural life is a mroe sustainable way of living, but I wonder if that is always the case.

As an urban dweller, I often wonder if rural living is actually a more sustainable way of life. I take public transportation everyday and don't own a car, I live in a small aprtment that is insulated by surrounding apartments and relied on steam heat shared with a hundred other families. Sure, I can't grow my own food, but there are dozens fo farmer's markets around the city where it is stipulated that all things sold must be local (within 200 miles of the city.)

Some rural residents may be closer to their food source, but they must rely on cars to transport them often a hundred miles to a store and they're homes are out in the open and can require more neergy to heat or cool.I have lived in isolated towns in Alaskan and New Hampshire and I felt like I used much more energy for travel and heat than I do in New York.

I understand, that rural inhabitants can rely on wind oor solar power (although urban dwellers can too.) I've just always wondered how the stochiometry of energy consumption of urban vs. rural dwellers might compare, especially since I feel many people assume that rural life is inherently more sustainable.

What do you think?

Comments: 7

Suvi Mills Oct 9, 2006, 5:21pm UTC

I also suspect that urban living is more sustainable. If more of us would live closer to where we work and take advantage of public transportation, rather than eating up our rural areas with suburban sprawl and filling the air with fumes from our SUVs driving to our jobs every day, the earth would stand half a chance.

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Kryistina ~*~ Frugal Diva Extraordinaire ~*~ Oct 10, 2006, 9:40pm UTC

It really depends on how you live. I have friends who live in the country and don't raise anything but eggs for their own consumption, but I live central city and raise some of my own meat, every inch of dirt in my yarden is planted with food, we harvest wild foods from the neighborhood, and I catch rain water off of the roof. I am very active in my community, so in my case, urban is definitely more sustainable, but if a family wasn't active in such a way that required a vehicle, if their "job" was working their homestead providing for their family entirely via production of food, goods, and utilities, then their way would be far more sustainable than mine.

The question is: "What is sustainable to you?" Is it inexpensive living, minimal impact, or doing for yourself? Is sustainable defined by how much impact all of your activities have on the planet, or just on your wallet? That has a lot to do with the answer to which is the more sustainable location.

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Kenneth B. Oct 12, 2006, 11:03am UTC

I agree, it is not where one lives, but how one lives.

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Heidi D. Oct 15, 2006, 11:48am UTC

I have to agree with Kenneth. It is not where, it is how.

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John F. Oct 18, 2006, 11:13am UTC

Lauren, great discussion topic. I'm not sure of the answer, and like many have mentioned already, I image that it depends largely on the individual. However, I do believe that suburban living is probably the least sustainable of all. Having grown up in the suburbs, the waste I have seen is tremendous. It is really quite heartbreaking.

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Mark C. Aug 5, 2008, 10:07am UTC

It's a great topic to debate which I believe is highly influenced by the choices we make to sustain. I suspect it depends on how much you consume. I live near a big city, I commute to work by bus and do things at home to minimize my energy output. Family members of mine live in a rural part of the US ~ they drive SUV's everywhere, don't recycle because it's too much of a hassle to store it and drive it down to the center. They have to drive 20 miles to get to the grocery store and don't buy organic because it's more expensive...

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Urban vs. Rural Life- which is more sustainable?

Comments: 7

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