Suburbia was an experiment—an experiment in the service of building lots of housing very quickly.

Housing, Suburban Experiment, Top Story, Incremental Housing, Transparent AccountingAddison Del MastroSeptember 12, 2022Addison Del Mastro, suburban experiment, suburbs, suburban development pattern, housing, housing policy, housing cost, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, housing affordability, NIMBY, Incremental Housing

Can New Jersey Supermarkets Predict an End to the Suburban Experiment?

The trajectory of these Jersey supermarkets is a microcosm of how the suburban experiment altered small towns, turning them from tiny cities into suburban lifestyle accouterments.

Big Box Stores, Suburban Experiment, Top StoryAddison Del MastroAugust 9, 2022main street, Traditional Main Street, big box stores, Small Towns, small towns, suburban experiment, suburbanization, New Jersey, Addison Del Mastro, local economy

Oak Tree Road and the Second Life Cycle Blues

Small-scale, incremental development works in the suburbs too, if we let it.

Incrementalism, Suburban Experiment, Top StoryAddison Del MastroJuly 21, 2022Addison Del Mastro, immigrants, immigration, incremental development, incrementalism, incremental, strip malls, suburbs, suburban development pattern, New Jersey, second life cycle, suburban experiment

McMain Streets, Gentrification, and the Futility of Authenticity as Urbanism Becomes Mainstream

As people interested in undoing damage caused by the rise of the suburban development pattern, how should we feel about so-called “McMain Streets”?

Suburban Experiment, Top StoryAlex MusicJuly 15, 2022suburbs, suburbanization, suburban experiment, walkability, gentrification, Gentrification, urban planning, urban design, Urban Renewal

Water Wars in the Modern Wild West

Residents of Maricopa County in Arizona find themselves engaged in a war over water, as the county builds itself out beyond its means.

Upzoned, Podcast, Top Story, Suburban ExperimentStrong TownsJuly 13, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, resource, water, Arizona, Development, development pattern, suburban development pattern, environment, suburban experiment

"We Won't Raise Our Kids in Suburbia"

In this Not Just Bikes video, Jason Slaughter explains how raising children in the suburbs significantly restricts their ability to be independent.

Suburban Experiment, Video, Top StoryJay StangeJune 23, 2022suburbs, suburban experiment, suburban development pattern, suburbanization, Not Just Bikes, children, Safety, safety, car dependency, car culture

Wealth and Buildings

In the realm of urban planning, there’s plenty of discourse out there about housing affordability—but what about household wealth building?

Housing, Suburban Experiment, Urban Design, Planning Profession, Top StoryKevin KlinkenbergMay 23, 2022Kevin Klinkenberg, housing, housing affordability, finance, housing finance, Homeownership, homeownership, urban planning, urbanism, suburbs, suburban experiment, suburbanization

Suburban Design is a Tragedy of the Commons

We tend to choose larger homes than we want our neighbors to choose. The result: suburban-style development that doesn't match what people actually want from their communities.

Suburban Experiment, Housing, Top StoryDevon ZuegelMay 3, 2022sprawl, infill, Development, development pattern, development, traditional development pattern, suburbs, suburbanization, suburban experiment, suburban development pattern, housing

Reckless Road Design is Killing Us, Not Reckless Drivers

An epidemic of roadway deaths aren’t caused by random rule breakers. The cause is the rule followers. It’s time to change the rules mandating speed and volume over safety and cost.

Who Should Be Able to Veto New Housing Production?

Should states and counties push back against local governments to crack open more options for housing, or will that be counterproductive?

Upzoned, Podcast, Suburban Experiment, Neighborhoods, Top StoryStrong TownsApril 13, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, neighborhood, Neighborhoods, suburban experiment, suburbs, Washington DC

CNBC Tackles the Growth Ponzi Scheme

You don’t want to miss this CNBC documentary video about the financial fragility of the suburban development pattern.

Growth Ponzi Scheme, Suburban Experiment, Video, Top StoryLauren FisherApril 11, 2022Growth Ponzi Scheme, suburban experiment, suburban development pattern, mixed use, housing, Development, development pattern, development

The Road That Killed a City

From its one-time status as one of America’s most prosperous cities, Hartford, CT, is now one of the poorest—no thanks to its mid-twentieth-century urban renewal projects.

Can Corporate Campuses Urbanize the Suburban Experience?

Some large companies are pivoting their real-estate models toward building more compact, mixed-use centers for their corporate campuses. Is this good or bad for America’s suburbs?