Suburbanization and American Cities
While the emergence of the automobile in the 20th century was indeed a key paradigm shift in the development of cities worldwide, the impact of auto-centric planning is perhaps evident nowhere better than the United States. As inner-cities deteriorated amid rapid industrialization, outward land availability and cheap petroleum created conditions ripe for endless suburbanization. Now, decades later, the US must face the implications of its love affair with the automobile, develop strategies to curb the repercussions of decades of unencumbered suburban development, and even rethink the fundamental notions of city life in America.
If one examines common descriptions of the American dream in popular culture, chances are they include the following: a white picket fence suburban home, with a privately owned car or two parked outside. Over time, the structural forces that led to suburbanization — i.e. deteriorating cities, increasing wealth, expanded mortgage opportunities, etc. — have translated to deep-seated cultural norms, reinforced generation after generation. The automobile, in particular, became an icon of freedom, independence, and American ingenuity. It led us to believe that our technological prowess has the power to transform how we live, with no limit in sight. As a result, the trajectory of outward growth continued. Billions of dollars were poured into an expansive freeway network, incentivizing further sprawl. Today, auto-centric suburban living, with large lot sizes and increasingly high travel distances, is still very much at the core of life in American cities. However, the extensive propagation of American suburban life has not been without its consequences, and with the arrival of the 21st century, we are becoming increasingly aware of them.
There are many key consequences to suburban sprawl: the high cost of maintaining auto infrastructure, an increasing reliance on a volatile oil market, pollution and public health concerns, and climate change, to name a few. However, while these consequences present some of our most significant challenges moving forward, it is also critical to discuss the social consequences of sprawl, and what suburbanization means for the future of our cities. As briefly touched upon, suburban living has led to the “American addiction to unencumbered transportation” (Sprawling from Grace Documentary). The notion that one’s goal should be a big suburban house led families further and further out into the suburbs, thus driving them further away from the economic opportunity and leisure of central business districts. With this outward pursuit of low-density suburbs being the prevailing desire, suburban residents found themselves in increasingly long commutes, often over 30 or 40 minutes each way. Low-density suburban development also exacerbated auto-centricism within suburbs, with even the simplest of trips — such as traveling to the grocery store, school, park, or a friend’s house, requiring a car. In addition, suburban sprawl has led to, in many cases, homogenous, segregated, sterile communities, often lacking a sense of community, places of gathering, and a unique identity. The interconnected nature of these many causal mechanisms has led to a continuously reinforcing feedback loop that is difficult to escape from.
Before thinking about strategies for sprawl containment and designing sustainable cities, it is important to discuss the contrast between ‘suburbanism’ and ‘urbanism’, as two different perceptions of city life. If suburbanism sees value in private property (big private house, privately owned car, etc.), urbanism places its value on dense, mixed-use neighborhoods. It represents an emphasis on human scale and walkable development. Integral to urbanism is public transit, characterized by urban areas that foster a sense of freedom without the use of the automobile. New urbanism, in particular, in tandem with shifting demographics (late marriage, lower birth rates), represents a return to history for the things that worked in cities — narrow streets and soft edges, human scale, rich pedestrian experiences and vibrant public spaces. Grand visions alone, though, while inspiring, will not suffice in creating the change that is necessary for the sustainability of our cities.
Extensive experimenting with various campaigns and policies has shown that ‘shaming’ and solely motivational campaigns, nor brute-force hierarchal regulation, are effective approaches to public policy. Rather, if city planners and officials take a phased approach to developing alternatives to suburban living, the desired change will result, slowly but surely. On that note, if cities aim to curb suburban sprawl, they must dispel the notion that dense urban areas are not for families by investing in daycares, schools, and supports for families. Perhaps more importantly, cities must provide housing that is of appropriate size for families. This can be achieved by requiring, for instance, that at least 20% of residential development in certain areas be two-bedroom units, and 10% be three-bedroom units. Another element of sprawl containment will undoubtedly need to be extensive investment in public transit, in tandem with transit-oriented development — i.e. the establishment of a “nodal” model, with dense, walkable development around mass transit stops. In addition to public investment in transit systems, policymakers should encourage transit ridership by incentivizing companies to provide transit passes to their employees (eg. tax breaks), while also providing public transit passes to low-income residents at little to no cost.
While the above list of strategies represents only a small fraction of what will be necessary, it demonstrates the impactful nature of urban policy in shaping the way our cities function and in fact, how we live our lives. Controlling the undesirable consequences of decades of suburbanization may be one of the most pressing challenges of the coming years, but it is only by delving into the complexities of the problem that we can ever hope to achieve long-term solutions.
Based on the documentary, Sprawling from Grace
