<<  <  >  >>

As more people

The War on the Suburbs

through annexation, city-county consolida-

tions, and most recently regional govern-

left the cities,

The 20th century has seen a massive

ments. But except for a few places such as

especially follow-

migration of Americans from the central

Portland, Oregon, the suburbs have stub-

ing World War II,

cities, where most Americans lived in 1900, to

bornly remained outside the political reach

the suburbs, where two-thirds of urban

of city governments and downtown business

interest groups

Americans and nearly half of all Americans

interests.

threatened by this

live today. This migration was initially

Enter EPA, which hopes to use its author-

cheered by urban elites, who viewed the cities

ity over federal spending and pollution regu-

migration began

as crowded, dirty, and responsible for the

lation to transform the suburbs. Ostensibly,

to coalesce

cycle of poverty that kept many people uned-

EPA's goal is to reduce air pollution by reduc-

around claims

ucated and hungry.1

ing the amount of driving that people do. To

As more people left the cities, especially

reach that goal, EPA has endorsed the plan-

that suburbs were

following World War II, interest groups

ning fad known as the "New Urbanism," and

vacuous and

threatened by this migration began to coa-

more recently popularized as "smart

insipid.

lesce around claims that suburbs were vacu-

growth." Smart growth proposes to accom

-

ous and insipid. Suburban residential areas

plish several goals:

were derided as "ticky tacky,"2 supermarkets

· stop the spread of low-density subur-

and other suburban shopping areas were

termed "strip developments," and the sub-

ban development through the use of

urbs themselves were referred to as areas of

urban-growth boundaries;

· redevelop existing suburbs to higher

"blight" and "sprawl." The automobile,

which brought the suburbs within reach of

population densities, emphasizing

most people, received its share of abuse. The

multifamily dwellings and row houses

demands of the automobile were paving over

instead of single-family detached

America,3 people said, and the open road was

homes;

· promote mixed-use developments and

being replaced by gridlock and four-hour

commutes.4

pedestrian-friendly design so that peo-

ple can walk rather than drive to mar-

Many of the people making these claims

kets;

viewed the suburbs as threats to their eco-

· promote transit-oriented developments

nomic futures.

so that people can take transit rather

· Central city officials considered every

than drive to work;

· slow the construction of highways and

new suburban resident to be a subtrac-

tion from their city's population and

spend more highway money on "traffic

tax base;

calming," meaning measures that

· Transit agency officials realized that

reduce road speeds and capacities; and

· accelerate the construction of rail tran-

people living in low-density suburbs

were less likely to support transit than

sit systems.

people living in dense urban areas.

· Downtown businesses and property

While the merits (or lack thereof) of smart

growth are beyond the scope of this study, it

owners considered suburban shopping

should be noted that all of the above policy

malls to be unfair competition with

proposals are contentious matters of debate

their businesses.

within the urban planning, environmental,

and economic professions.

These groups readily joined with environ-

mentalists worried about the loss of prime

· Dr. Randall Crane, planning professor

farmland to try to curb urban sprawl.5 The

cities sought control over the suburbs

at the University of California-Irvine,

2