Salma Bano

Urban sprawl refers to the uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into surrounding rural or undeveloped areas, resulting in a reduction of open space and increased land use. In the context of high mountain towns along the Karakorum Highway, urban sprawl can have significant implications for land use patterns and property values.

One of the main implications of urban sprawl in these towns is the loss of open space and natural resources. As urban areas expand into surrounding rural areas, the natural landscapes and resources that make these towns unique can be lost or degraded. This can include forests, agricultural land, water resources, and wildlife habitats, all of which are critical to the well-being of local communities and their economies.

Another implication of urban sprawl is changes in land use patterns. As urban areas expand, more land is converted from agricultural or natural areas to residential or commercial use, resulting in changes to the character of the landscape and potential conflicts between different land uses. For example, as more land is developed for residential or commercial use, there may be increased competition for resources such as water or land, leading to conflicts between different land users.

Urban sprawl can also have significant impacts on property values in high mountain towns. As the character of the landscape changes and open space is lost, the desirability of the area can decline, leading to a decrease in property values. Alternatively, if development is well-planned and managed, property values may increase as the area becomes more attractive to tourists and investors.

Overall, the implications of urban sprawl for land use patterns and property values in high mountain towns along the Karakorum Highway depend on the specific context and the way in which development is managed. Careful planning and management can help to minimize the negative impacts of urban sprawl and ensure that the unique natural and cultural resources of these areas are protected and preserved for future generations.

A widely accepted definition of urban sprawl is uncontrolled, unlawful, unplanned, and uncoordinated low-density single-use development facilitates that does not provide for a functional and appealing combination of land use mixes and/or is not functionally connected to neighboring land-uses and which variously appears as leapfrog, or isolated development, ribbon or strip with scattered residential neighborhoods and commercial strip development, with automobile dominance which are aesthetically displeasing in nature.

The destructive elements of urban sprawl are critical, and taming it is unavoidable for the sustainability of our ecosystem. The repercussions of urban sprawl may be divided into three categories: social/community impacts, economic implications, and environmental/ecological impacts.

Community Impacts

• Disparately housed residents
• A general decrease in quality of life
• Less social interaction and a longer commute time
• A large proportion of single-person families that consume a lot of resources
• An increase in health issues (for example, insomnia and other health effects due to noise pollution, asthma due to air pollution and the urban heat island effect)
• Obesity, stress, and physical activity have all risen in recent years
• The division of places where people live, work, and play/leisure

Economic Impacts

• Financial discrimination
• Increased overall transportation costs for commuting to households
• Increased costs due to traffic congestion
• Increased per capita energy and land consumption
• An increase in the cost of public services and taxes
• Increased costs of using technology to replace different ecosystem-related functions

Ecological Impacts

• Increased air pollution and fossil fuel depletion stemmed from our overwhelming reliance on automobiles
• As the amount of impermeable surfaces increases, water pollution and hydrological changes in watersheds, surface watercourses, and other areas will occur
• Increased noise pollution
• Wetlands, sacred groves and animal corridors are among the key natural habitats that have been impacted by development
• Destruction of current green infrastructure and fragmentation of the landscape
• Arable land, agricultural land, architectural history, natural open spaces, and recreational locations are all being lost

those above factors directly and indirectly affect to the land use pattern and property values