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Suburbs the next slums?

  2. sonrisa
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With rising energy prices and increasing emphasis on walkable urbanism, the suburbs are losing popularity. In fact, some speculate that the suburbs will be the future slums, a transformation that is already beginning with rising crime in some of the neighborhoods hit hardest by the subprime mess.
sonrisa

8 responses // Suburbs the next slums?

  • This is an interesting take on an ongoing issue that I think makes a lot of sense. With the growth of 'New Urbanist' projects in cities all across the country, the backlash of this has been that the most highly prized properties are now increasingly urban, leaving those less significantly wealthy to struggle in the 'burbs.

    Having grown up in the suburbs (like most of us in this country), I can't say I'll ever really miss them – so slum 'em up.
    khsing
  • Wow. James Howard Kunstler would love this.

    I read today that by 2030 (or was it 2050?), 70% of the world's population will live in urban areas. nuts!
    gNicole
    1 response to this
  • it's just a situation where people move farther and farther out into the exurbs as more people and businesses move into the suburbs.
    thedez
  • you all should check out the documentary 'the end of surburbia'... this really speaks to the inevitable death of surburbia. more and more buyers/citizenry are beginning to demand community or a sense of place and surburbia really doesn't allow for much community off the side of a highway. dwindling energy, traffic congestion, lack of inspiration, aging demographic and an emerging younger demographic will all take part in the transitioning of this post ww2 ideal. stay tuned...
    common_sense_allowed
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHr8OzaloLM
    great film. here is a link to the trailer.
    twodee
  • As I understand it, this is how it is in France. That's why there are riots in the suburbs there, as opposed to the urban areas, because the poor people live in the suburbs and not the city proper. I could see it happening.
    cwhite
  • http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/04/...
    This Marketplace report confirms the Atlantic predictions -- even creditworthy borrower's are having trouble getting mortgages in areas lenders deems to be bad investments, i.e., the burbs.

    I've been wondering when the glut of McMansions was finally going to surpass the need... looks like it's finally happening.
    AmandaBecker

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