With the high price of gas and the reasonable notion that people would rather walk to work or take mass transportation, major media articles have begun predicting a mass return to urban areas and the demise of the suburbs. Like much in the mainstream media, these articles are long on speculation and short on research.
Roger Selbert is a "business futurist" who specializes in spotting trends and sharing them with his business clients. He posted an article yesterday at one of my new favorite sites, NewGeography, that argues clearly and well that the suburbs are here to stay. Most job growth is in the suburbs, and most commuting is within suburbs. That runs counter to the popular notion that most people commute from suburbs to city. Anyway, Selbert argues, one-fourth of the nation's work force run their businesses from their homes. With a little better regional and local planning, the suburbs can offer more of the conveniences we associate with urban living.
I recommend to you Mr. Selbert's article, "The Future of Suburbs? Suburbs are the Future."
