How Is Urbanization Threatening Stonehenge?
In a prior article we discussed the impact of tourism on local areas and now we are exploring how England is handling urbanization near Stonehenge.
In the past few years the development of London has expanded into formerly rural areas. While this has been a phenomenon happening worldwide, as of late, officials in England are considering how urbanization may expand beyond current city limits and reach as far as the Stonehenge site.
While you won't be seeing houses built around the monument, proposals for the A303 redevelopment do involve a disturbance to the land just south of Stonehenge. Officials in England proposed digging a tunnel just south of Stonehenge in an attempt to alleviate traffic on one of the most congested highways from London to southwest England.
Though the plan seems logical as the A303 is one of the most congested highways in England, there has been great debate over the issue since Stonehenge is a prehistoric and heavily protected monument.
image © Pam Brophy
When other areas are faced with a similar situation they tend to look at underutilized areas such as parking lots or airports that can be redeveloped. Ultimately their goal is to see areas that are already built out and either rebuild or build up.
While this strategy traditionally works, it isn't applicable to the issue with Stonehenge. So instead of rebuilding or redeveloping, the greatest challenge that the city needs to overcome is the proper balance between protecting important sites and meeting the demands of the modernized population.
cover photo © unsplash
