A few weeks back, as I sat at the bus stop on the corner of Lake Michigan Dr. and Seward Ave., a woman approached me. Being the only two at the stop, we quickly struck up a conversation. She soon told me her name was Barb and that she'd lived in Grand Rapids her entire life. She suddenly asked me, "Do you want to hear something sad?"

Not being sure what to say, I shrugged and nodded politely. Barb pointed off into the distance and asked, "You see that little yellow house on the corner?"

I nodded again, waiting for an explanation. She then told me that it was her house and that she had lived in it ever since she could remember, but the city was taking it from her now to build high rise apartments in the area. She was worried how far they would go, how much more of the neighborhood they would take and then destroy. I sympathized with her, but then parted ways when the bus came. However, Barb's story refused to leave my head, and I began to think more closely about the "behind-the-scenes" of city expansion over the next few weeks. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it necessary?

Some may say that city expansion is necessary to the development of a city, that the city needs to expand to stay new and relevant to younger generations. This could lead to an influx of tourists and could heighten the economy of the city.

Though to people like Barb, expansion can be detrimental; it can impede on the only way of life they have ever known. It could mean giving up their homes as well as their way of living. City expansion may have some beneficial effects in growing a healthy city, but after speaking with Barb, I began to ask myself whether or not these benefits are ever worth it. What may seem like a harmless act can sometimes have a greater impact than we first realize.