From the air, it is impossible to tell where each community or county begins and ends. Rather, the patterns of development appear as one continuous urban area that extends from the town of Bernalillo on the north to Belen on the south and from the escarpment on the west to Moriarty on the east. On many mornings, particularly in the winter, air pollution occurs, especially in the Rio Grande basin portion of the region. The living patterns of the people in Albuquerque's region create a need for region-wide systems to serve the people. Examples of these systems are transportation, water and sewerage, open space and recreation, education, and housing.
Systems requirements differ as living patterns vary.
Thus the current, low-density, scattered pattern depends almost totally on the automobile. A more compact pattern that would emphasize higher densities and mixed uses might be more conducive to transit, walking, and other transportation modes. Systems required by differing living patterns also vary in cost. This low-density pattern not only costs more because of the length of the required systems, but also requires that families own and maintain multiple vehicles. Thus the cost of doing business rises, and the Albuquerque region finds itself in a less competitive position in the global economy we now live in.