Are we in the middle of a suburban exodus?
In the wake of the subprime mortgage collapse, many of the nation's suburbs are filled of vacant houses. Filled with vacancies -- is that an oxymoron? Anyhow, lawns are growing out of control, neighborhoods are being overrun with teenage vandals, and many empty houses are apparently being converted into pot growing operations by squatters. Is this it? Are we finally seeing the death of the suburb? The silver lining of the suburban mess is that it seems to be driving even more people towards new urbanism -- the denser mixed-use developments that allow people to walk instead of drive. So, the outcome might end up being a more sustainable model for city planning for the next few decades. For most of the green minded, it's a welcome change from the ever expanding suburban sprawl that seems almost designed to foster huge carbon footprints. Still, it's hard to know what to do about the ghost towns.
While property values in the suburbs plummet, urban real estate continues to heat up. Downtowns are once again filled with young professionals who seem to want a different, walkable version of the American Dream. Lots of cities across the country are seeing this urban 'revitalization' play out, which gains momentum as more and more luxurious condos and shops are built downtown.
Likewise, as vacant homes become more prevalent in suburbia, the lower prices dip and the less attractive the neighborhoods appear. What will become of the suburbs if this scenario continues? There are quite a few competing theories about this phenomenon. Some say they will become a wasteland that will have to be recycled -- by large colorful robots. Others, like Arthur C. Nelson of Virginia Tech's Metropolitan Institute, predict that suburban mcmansions will be filled with lower income families who've been priced out of the city.
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