exhalations

Suburbs: The Next Slums?

The Atlantic has a good article on the rise of popularity of walkable communities and cities and the decline of many suburbs. As more people seek out places where they can live near shops and cultural attractions, the large houses on big lots are losing much of their former appeal.

For 60 years, Americans have pushed steadily into the suburbs, transforming the landscape and (until recently) leaving cities behind. But today the pendulum is swinging back toward urban living, and there are many reasons to believe this swing will continue. As it does, many low-density suburbs and McMansion subdivisions, including some that are lovely and affluent today, may become what inner cities became in the 1960s and ’70s—slums characterized by poverty, crime, and decay.

There may be a way to reverse the decline of some suburbs; allow more mixed uses that are not currently allowed. Integrate small retail uses among the developments and build some sidewalks and trails. It's probably not feasible in many places where the density is too low and the lots too large. It would require major changes in zoning ordinances, but the change is overdue.

posted by Bruce Wright at 10:23 PM #

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