Comments on: The Premature Obituary for Suburbia http://davewrites.com/the-premature-obituary-for-suburbia/ about technology, life and an imperative to create something better Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:50:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dean Ebesu http://davewrites.com/the-premature-obituary-for-suburbia/comment-page-1/#comment-300 Dean Ebesu Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:55:39 +0000 #comment-300 There have been reports for the last 10 years or more about the trend towards "re-urbanization" or "downtown revitalization" and its causes. The predominant theory (at the time) is that baby boomers were retiring, leaving (or selling) their family homes to their children, and flocking to the city where they can experience the abundant culture, have more available health care, and leave behind driving and gardening.<br /> <br /> Whether that's true or not, downtowns Seattle, San Francisco, and Honolulu are seeing 30-40 story condo highrises pop up like weeds -- and people are buying in spite of the near $1M price tags. My Web site shows that I'm one such victim. There have been reports for the last 10 years or more about the trend towards “re-urbanization” or “downtown revitalization” and its causes. The predominant theory (at the time) is that baby boomers were retiring, leaving (or selling) their family homes to their children, and flocking to the city where they can experience the abundant culture, have more available health care, and leave behind driving and gardening.

Whether that’s true or not, downtowns Seattle, San Francisco, and Honolulu are seeing 30-40 story condo highrises pop up like weeds — and people are buying in spite of the near $1M price tags. My Web site shows that I’m one such victim.

]]> By: Joe Cortright http://davewrites.com/the-premature-obituary-for-suburbia/comment-page-1/#comment-299 Joe Cortright Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:32:37 +0000 #comment-299 Thanks for mentioning our study, Driven to the Brink.<br /> <br /> The upshot of our report is that the rise in gas prices has blunted a key element of the appeal of suburban living. We haven't predicted wholesale abandonment of suburbs, but I do think we've made a plausible case for a pretty substantial market shift back toward the center.<br /> <br /> So don't caricature our findings as portending the death of suburbs. I don't think we share the kind of cataclysmic view of the suburbs in an era of high gas prices that is articulated by Chris Leinberger.<br /> <br /> The shift will be more subtle than that. More young families like Caroline, staying in the center (or staying longer than they used to). That and the higher values in close-in neighborhoods triggering more investment and infill. And the low values in the suburbs discouraging additional development there. Thanks for mentioning our study, Driven to the Brink.

The upshot of our report is that the rise in gas prices has blunted a key element of the appeal of suburban living. We haven’t predicted wholesale abandonment of suburbs, but I do think we’ve made a plausible case for a pretty substantial market shift back toward the center.

So don’t caricature our findings as portending the death of suburbs. I don’t think we share the kind of cataclysmic view of the suburbs in an era of high gas prices that is articulated by Chris Leinberger.

The shift will be more subtle than that. More young families like Caroline, staying in the center (or staying longer than they used to). That and the higher values in close-in neighborhoods triggering more investment and infill. And the low values in the suburbs discouraging additional development there.

]]> By: Caroline http://davewrites.com/the-premature-obituary-for-suburbia/comment-page-1/#comment-298 Caroline Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:14:05 +0000 #comment-298 We're on the other side of spectrum - living in the heart of the city where we can walk to every conceivable convenience (drugstore, dry cleaner, hardware store, great running loops around the Charles, coffee shop, bakery, market, restaurants, shopping(!)and it's a 20 min train+walk commute. Only use the car on the weekends to head to Maine or west of the city for bike rides. We don't have a ton of space, but enough to be comfortable and besides we are never home during the week, so more space would just be more to clean. No yard, but that means no lawnmower, yard waste disposal, higher water bill, etc (we do have some window boxes though!). Great neighborhood for young families too - parks, playgrounds, etc.<br /> <br /> Problem? All of our friends are moving to the suburbs, which takes away the ease of 'I'll just run right over' or 'let's meet in 10 mins'. Not that they are all moving to the same suburb , but it takes away the campus-like atmosphere that we were used to.<br /> <br /> So...yes, we will move to the suburbs, just not sure when that will be or what will be the deciding factor...oh and then there's that nutty real estate market to contend with....<br /> <br /> We’re on the other side of spectrum – living in the heart of the city where we can walk to every conceivable convenience (drugstore, dry cleaner, hardware store, great running loops around the Charles, coffee shop, bakery, market, restaurants, shopping(!)and it’s a 20 min train+walk commute. Only use the car on the weekends to head to Maine or west of the city for bike rides. We don’t have a ton of space, but enough to be comfortable and besides we are never home during the week, so more space would just be more to clean. No yard, but that means no lawnmower, yard waste disposal, higher water bill, etc (we do have some window boxes though!). Great neighborhood for young families too – parks, playgrounds, etc.

Problem? All of our friends are moving to the suburbs, which takes away the ease of ‘I’ll just run right over’ or ‘let’s meet in 10 mins’. Not that they are all moving to the same suburb , but it takes away the campus-like atmosphere that we were used to.

So…yes, we will move to the suburbs, just not sure when that will be or what will be the deciding factor…oh and then there’s that nutty real estate market to contend with….

]]>