Rule, Suburbia

Washington Post ^ | 06 February 2005 | Joel Kotkin

[Lorianne]

The battle's over. For half a century, legions of planners, urbanists, environmentalists and big city editorialists have waged war against sprawl. Now it's time to call it a day and declare a victor.

The winner is, yes, sprawl.

The numbers are incontestable and the trends inexorable. Since 1950, more than 90 percent of metropolitan population growth in America has taken place in the suburbs. Today, roughly two out of three people in the nation's metro areas are suburban dwellers. "The burbs" have become the homeland of American success, with an increasing share of our national wealth and half the poverty of the urban core.

We may continue to decry them and make fun of them, in cynical movies like "American Beauty" or on spoofy television shows like "Desperate Housewives." But we have embraced the suburbs and made them our home.

For most of us, they represent both our present and our future. Over the next quarter century, according to a Brookings Institution study, the nation will add 50 percent to the current stock of houses, offices and shops, and the great majority of that new building will take place in lower-density locations, not traditional inner cities.

Once we acknowledge this reality, we can turn to the task of making the best of it .....

[Pessimist]

And we all know why that is: Everybody (liberals and conservatives alike) runs to the 'burbs to escape the "great unwashed", the "underclass".

Nobody want to live w/ 'em, have their kids go to school w/ 'em, get robbed by them, etc... (and I'm not specifying a skin tone here either - they come in all shapes and sizes)

At least for us conservatives, our behavior is not diametrically opposed to our philosophies. But for liberals, every single one in the 'burbs should be ashamed of himself.

[daviddennis]

Seems to me this guy's been half asleep.

Joel Garreau's Edge City says just about the same thing he's saying, and he was writing in the 1970s.

D

[CTOCS]

I agree with all your points and wish to add a few.

Every big city I've lived in or had extended stays in has been a cesspool. London was filthy, Hong Kong, New York, Madrid - all of them filthy and overcrowded.

Even w/o the crime, who would want to live like that? Own a pet? No way. Plant a garden? no way. Garage your car? In your dreams. Safe play environment for your kids? Don't think so.

I've turned down double six-figure consulting fees because I refused to set foot back in NYC.

[Kevin OMalley]

read later bump