There was an article the other day in the paper with the headline “Phoenix Plans 24-Lane Highway”. The article described the plan to widen a two mile stretch of Interstate 10 in Phoenix to 24 lanes.  In each direction there would be six general purpose lanes, two high-occupancy lanes and then four lanes for local traffic.  The article went on to mention several other giant highway proposals around the country such as an expansion to18 lanes in Houston and 23 lanes in Atlanta. 

The reason for all this highway expansion is to ease gridlock that city planners are increasingly saying could stunt economic growth.  Leaders in metro areas around the country are worried that traffic congestion is an obstacle for them to ‘compete’ economically with other cities.  This implies that, as one city expands its highway system, other cities will feel compelled to do the same.  This is a competition to see who can pave over the greatest amount of land so that internal combustion engine vehicles can move more easily as they pollute the air, powered by ever more expensive petroleum purchased from countries that fund terrorism. …

So, today we are now a country of 300 million people facing an uncertain future together.  What are the issues that we will have to deal with as a country as our population grows from this number, and what can we anticipate as we look at global population growth?

The United States currently has an average of 86 people per square mile, which is much lower than many other developed countries.  Even when we absorb another 100 million, which is projected to be around 2043-45 our population density will be lower than some European countries are now.  Where this statistic is misleading is that as a nation we all seem to want to live in similar places. The Center for Environment and Population has calculated that over half the population lives within 50 miles of the coasts.  The states in the heartland, such as the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas are either losing population or experiencing minimum growth.  The trend line is clear: mega cities on both coasts and a wide open, sparsely populated middle.  This trend will be tempered by connectivity and increasingly disparate real estate prices.

How many people do we want to have, do we manage population growth and what do we need to do to support further population increase? We must begin to reflect on the answers to these questions.  Take for example the Southwest, one of the fastest growing areas of the U.S.  Basically the states of the Southwest are desert states.  These states are now beginning to …

Tomorrow, October 17, 2006 will be the day when the population of the United States of America will become 300 million.  It will most likely get a lot of coverage, as round, big numbers always have a fascination for the media.  In and of itself it is a non-event, as why is the 300 millionth birth more significant than the 301millionth birth?  But it is a significant number relative to the history of this country and as it fits into the population growth of the world.

First here is some historical perspective on this event.  The U.S. took 126 years to reach 100 million in 1915.  It took another 52 years to reach 200 million in 1967 and then 39 years to reach 300 million.  It is clear that we are reaching each milestone more quickly as population growth is exponential. That being said it is interesting to note that the rate of growth in the U.S. has been steadily slowing.  According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the average annual growth rate of the country’s population was 1.47% in 1950, 1.89% in 1955, and it peaked in 1965 at 2.08%.  Since then there has been a steady decline; 1.7% in 1980, 1.56% in 1990 and 1.26%, the lowest of the last 50 years, in 2000.  This decline in percentage growth is mirrored in all other developed countries, most noticeably Europe where, without immigration, the growth is actually flat to negative.  In the less developed countries, the population growth percentages …