Let’s chat about sprawl vs rural living

By Charles Houston

Right now, I don’t have time to write a proper column myself, so I’ve cheated, putting ChatGPT to work on two related topics: Sprawl, and the benefits of rural living. I’ve never fiddled with artificial intelligence until now. 

An intriguing thing about ChatGPT is that you can adjust the reading levels of its answers. In this piece I’ve used both its highest reading level and its elementary version. In each case its statements about sprawl and rural life seem to be on point:

Sprawl

“Problems with sprawl reveal intricate interdependencies and systemic challenges that have far-reaching implications for societies, economies and environments. Sprawl can segregate populations by socio-economic status, leading to spatial injustice, and limiting access to quality education, healthcare and job opportunities. 

“Sprawl blurs the interfaces between urban or existing suburban areas with rural areas, leading to many difficult sequelae. There may be new problems with biodiversity and climate. There are temporal dynamics that can have deleterious effects as existing suburbs age.

“Shifting societal perceptions and narratives about development and quality of life s pivotal.”

That’s ChatGPT at a high level, probably equivalent to graduate school language. It’s hard to disagree with what AI has written, but the elementary school version is actually more compelling:

“Sprawl causes traffic problems. It leads to loss of nature and less space for fun. There is more pollution and draining resources like water. 

“Sprawl leads to loss of community when houses are far apart so it’s hard to get to know your neighbors.”

Rural Living

AI accurately captures the benefits of rural life, regardless of how it writes. Here’s the elementary version:

“Clean and fresh air. Wide open spaces for playing and exploring. You can see lots of animals. It’s quiet and peaceful and you can hear birds chirping instead of horns and sirens. There’s less traffic. 

“People in rural areas often know each other well and help each other out like a big, extended family. You can grow your own fresh food and see the stars at night. There’s less rushing around and more time for fun activities. Rural areas are often safer.”

That simpler text may be more powerful than what ChatGPT presents at its normal level:

“Rural life offers various benefits for personal development, lifestyle and overall well-being. The peaceful environment is conducive to deep thinking, reflection and creativity. There is real connection to nature – natural landscapes, scenic vistas, wildlife and forests. People have closer-knit relationships and more community engagement. 

“The slower pace of life provides more time for leisure without constant rush and distractions. One becomes more self-sufficient, from mowing lawns and pastures, and learning to repair various things.

“The positive environment of rural living brings reduced stress and better mental health. While rural life brings enhanced community engagement, it also provides privacy for those who value it. Many rural areas are rich with history. 

“Rural areas often present aesthetic pleasure, from simple farms to equine estates, from mountains to meadows.”

This writing is less pedantic that what ChatGPT gave me about sprawl, at an academic level.

I’m impressed by AI, which seems to capture most of what’s important. Were I writing this from scratch, I’d delve into specifics for Loudoun County, such as the Potomac, our historic villages and farms, our mountains. A more complete comparison on rural and suburban sprawl would also talk about attitudes:

Attitudes

“Charlie, these people are not like us.” That was a friend who moved from a slow gravel road to a developmentwith paved roadsand dense housing. She regretted the decision and moved back to a farm two years later.

Attitudes differ and are important. In March I wrote about oikos – the Greek concept of home, which is a sense that one’s home becomes part of oneself. That concept is easy to understand if you grasp the difference between home and house.

A House is Not Necessarily a Home

Some Loudouners see their residence as home, while others just see their abode as a house. “Home” suggests permanence and generates many warm feelings: Family, pets, garden, pleasant aromas from the kitchen, snug beds. You get the picture.

“House” does not conjure anything like those fine notions. It’s hard to think of “house” as anything but a building that’s just bricks and mortar. A house has no soul; a home does.

I’ll Generalize

My impression is that many people who have moved into a new house in western Loudoun in, say, the last 10 or 15 years, simply live here for a limited period of time and plan on moving elsewhere after their children are off to college or when they retire. They are not rooted here, and their oikos is elsewhere. 

If they live here now but plan on eventually leaving Loudoun, what will be their legacy, besides sprawl, growth and trying to change Loudoun’s unique beauty?

I hear people in new houses carp for suburban-style features. Particularly dangerous is their pleading for paving historic roads. Why move to a neighborhood on a gravel road if you don’t appreciate the history and beauty?  

Back to AI

I’m impressed by what AI can do, at least with the questions I asked it. Changing AI’s reading levels leads me to conclude that simple writing is best. I need to work on that.

Charlie Houston developed millions of square feet of corporate office buildings as a senior officer with an Atlanta-based company, but his oikos is in western Loudoun County.