The Decline of Suburbia

BURBS BUST going FORECLOSU he age of "sprawl" is ending: people are leaving the suburbs and once again flocking to cities in search of a better way of life. Whether Suburbia can be saved or not, it's worth taking a look at the key factors contributing to its decline. As always, understanding the problem is the first step to finding the right solution. SUBURBIA IN DECLINE Annual Population Change 1991-2011 2.5 2.0 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 -0.5 O City/High Density Suburbs O Emerging Suburb Exurb Bronkings Institution CONTRIBUTING FACTORS POVERTY LESS DRIVING GENERATION Y POVERTY People usually think of poverty as an urban problem, but it has recently become a very suburban issue. IN 2010, THE NUMBER OF SUBURBAN RESIDENTS 55 15.4 WHO LIVED BELOW THE POVERTY LINE WAS: %) OF THE NATION'S MILLION POOR LIVE IN SUBURBS 11.5% SINCE 2000 THE NUMBER OF INCREASE FROM 2009 SUBURBAN POOR HAS INCREASED BY: IN 2010, THE NUMBER OF 53% URBAN RESIDENTS WHO LIVED BELOW THE POVERTY LINE WAS: 12.7 SOME FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED THIS RAPID INCREASE WERE: MILLION 5% INCREASE FROM 2009 THE LOSS OF MANY MANUFACTURING JOBS THE LOSS OF MANY CONSTRUCTION JOBS Brookings Institution analysis of 2010 Census data LESS DRIVING Since WWII the use of a vehicle steadily increased - until the mid-2000s, when it began to drop for the first time. Total # of Vehicles on the Road has Plateaued since 2006 225 175 2006 125 25 07 09 Vehicle-Miles Travelled/Capita Vehicle-Miles Travelled 2004 2007 Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People Are Driving Less and What It Means for Transportation CHANGES IN GAS PRICES Where the car was once considered the ticket to freedom, it's now increasingly viewed as a burden not worth bearing. 2001 A 2010 m $1,100 $2,300 YEARLY AVERAGE SPENT ON GAS YEARLY AVERAGE SPENT ON GAS THAT'S A 109% INCREASE Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People Are Driving Less and What it Means for Transportation GENERATIONY Une of the most interesting factors in the decline of the suburbs is the decreasing interest in driving, a trend most notable in Generation Y. GENERATION Y AGE: 15-32 SIZE: 77.4 MILLION The younger generation is changing the norm, driving less and showing more interest in leaving the suburbs in search of more walkable/bike-friendly areas. DO YOU MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO REDUCE DRIVING? I STRONGLY AGREE SOMEWHAT AGREE 18-34 16% 29% 35-44 14% 27% 10% 21% 45-54 8% 16% 55 + 0% 10% 20% 40% 50% % OF AGE GROUP DO YOU SUBSTITUTE DRIVING WITH SOCIAL NETWORKING PLATFORMS? I STRONGLY AGREE I SOMEWHAT AGREE 18-34 23% 31% 35-44 11% 35% 45-54 7% 28% 55 + 4% 14% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% % OF AGE GROUP Survey by KRC Research and Zipcar HOW MANY PEOPLE PREFER TO LIVE IN SMART GROWTH NEIGHBORHOODS*? 18-29 62% 30-39 54% 40-49 51% 50-59 52% 58% 60 + 30% 40% 50% 60% 60% % OF AGE GROUP *Smart Growth Neighborhoods are well-designed, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods National Association of Realtors Survey For decades the suburbs and the American Dream went hand-in-hand: a house with a yard and a white picket fence. It was the alternative to the hustle and bustle of urban living, a peaceful place to raise a family. Instead of letting the suburbs dwindle away, resulting in unkempt ghost towns, we should begin thinking about how to retrofit the suburbs for the needs of our changing culture, reinventing Suburbia as a sustainable alternative to urban life. SOURCES: Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People Are Driving Less and What It Means for Transportation Policy. "The Frontier Group and The U.S. PIRG Education Fund. April 2012. http://manay.cnn.com/2011/09/23/news/aconomy/poverty suburbs/index.htm?id-HP_LN http //www.uli.org/l-Imedia/ResearchAndPublications/Report/GenY-Report-20110510 asha Designed by Megan Jett AGE GROUP AGE GROUP AGE GROUP