The suburbs are dying, so let's create a new American Dream: Leigh Gallagher at TEDxMidAtlantic

Leigh Gallagher is an Assistant Managing Editor at Fortune magazine. She is a cochair of the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit and a visiting scholar at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University. Her first book, The End of the Suburbs: Where the American Dream is Moving, was published by Portfolio in August 2013.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@ericspencer8093]

Being from Fortune Mag, I'm surprised she didn't go into the economics of suburbia. The suburban plan is financially unsustainable, and here's why. The idea behind suburban design is to live in a country-like setting but near the city (best of both worlds). However, in a suburb you have fewer people spread over a much larger area, which means a lot more streets, utility lines, street lights, etc per tax payer (not to mention all the green spaces). So the net result is that the local taxes to maintain all of those things are higher than the people living there can or are willing to pay. To keep taxes low, new suburbs rely on constant growth, but once that growth ends, they are forced to raise taxes. Then people begin moving away, the suburb is forced to neglect its infrastructure and goes into decline. Meanwhile, its former residents move further and further out to newer suburbs in a never-ending cycle of build/decline/move again.

[@jus3278]

As a suburban kid, I've never dreamed of growing up to live in a suburb. They only increase pollution with the traffic they create, suburban people tend to be disconnected from humanity, in my hometown of Houston they are contributing to the issues we have with flooding, and they are just a completely entire waste of space in most instances. I'm a big no on Suburbia

[@benjamintorres9211]

Yeah i moved to a suburb when i was around 12 years old from a more dense town and i quickly noticed that i couldn’t walk to the park or downtown (the suburbs doesn’t have a centralized downtown) and i felt so bored not even knowing my neighbors or any kids from my block, not to mention i barely saw anybody actually using their “extra space” for anything other than just mowing the lawn lol

[@dustywaxhead]

a lot of you guys seem to be riled up over what she said. suburbs aren't necessarily bad, but there are improvements that can be made. many suburbs dont even have sidewalks, lack access to storefronts, and prohibit any real form of transportation other than cars. these communities can improve, evolve, and reflect what many people want which are walkable communities, pedestrian friendly places, and smart planning that encourages outdoor activity...

[@IcelanderUSer]

Caleb Gallegos I agree. A huge percentage of Americans can not drive. Yet entire cities were designed for people with cars. Big mistake. That's why people are moving back downtown. The old and young alike.

[@ethand2731]

I know this is a super old comment but this is what is happening with my family. I moved to an apartment next to bus lines and a train station in the historic part of my city so I don't have to own a car (seriously think of the savings while paying off college debt). My parents as soon as my sister graduates are moving to the same city, a bit farther away from the center, but still in a walkable aria.

[@binaryvoid0101]

Suburbs are NOT _great._ If someone wants to get defensive about it, let them. Suburbs are the death of social integration and progress. It increases isolation and segregation by income, race, social background, and culture. According to evolution, species become stronger when there is genetic biodiversity. Diversity, not just with genes, but with education, ideas, backgrounds, socio-ecomomic statuses, etc. We need to be around different kinds of people to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

[@lisaelwell5094]

Binary Void that's what Section 8 Vouchers are for

[@channel1channel139]

That is kind of what she is saying as well - urbanizing suburbs that are planned or improved to be more walkable, fun and have more people interaction and community feel (urban village)

[@Leonthotskys]

The reason the cities are becoming so expensive is that a few billionaires buy up most of the housing stock. Most apartments and houses, and most buildings in large cities, New York, Chicago, London, are empty. The owners buy them, and control the supply of available properties, thus controlling the price. Cities have way more housing stock than suburbs, and if the real supply was unleashed, an average apartment in nyc would be around $300 a month

[@spd_bird]

Oh The Urbanity has a great video on this. According to that theory, if they reduced prices and increased the number of people able to afford them, they would be able to pull in even more money than right now. The issue of rich people buying up housing stock is a symptom of a low amount of housing stock to begin with. If the housing stock wasn't so low, other competitors would be able to enter the market and not only offer more options but bring down prices.

[@BigHoffa]

The lofts at Sodosopa. Welcome home

[@cadenyoung9968]

In reality, I don’t think suburbs were the best idea to begin with. Levittown was an example of a cookie cutter suburb with few resources and everyone still depending on the city, it was also an example of institutional racism

[@edstar83]

My job was to drive through the city all say. At the end of the day I was glad to come home to my home. In the suburbs.

[@TheNacropolice]

Yes to the latter, but it was also born out of necessity: Lots of new families, lots of kids, insufficient housing supply. The homes weren't super high quality, but they were a starter home

[@greenmachine5600]

The missing middle housing is lacking in the US

[@samuelmikulasko]

Well Americans... Welcome to Europe 200 years ago.... Hope you enjoy it :)

[@christiangainey1223]

"The State of the City Poll, which surveyed a representative sample of over 1,600 U.S. adults on a wide-ranging set of topics related to quality of life and local government policies, found that all things considered, Americans who live in suburban areas are the most satisfied with the places where they live. Among suburbanites, 84 percent of those surveyed rated the communities where they live as overall excellent or good, compared to 75 percent of urban dwellers and 78 percent of rural residents." This woman's opinion is a minority opinion. In the 2010 U.S. census, the majority of Americans (55%) lived in suburbs, about 12% lived in rural areas/small towns and the rest lived in major cities. The reason to why there was a SLIGHT sudden decrease of people living in suburbs and a slight increase of people moving into cities was directly related and a result of the Housing Crash of 2008...However, recent U.S. Census data from the national American Community Survey, conducted every few years, shows that this trend has been reversing in the past few years as suburban growth is increasing compared to cities; as Americans are again buying their dream homes in the suburbs. In my opinion, this entire speech of hers is just wishful thinking by a tiny minority opinion.

[@charliebrown6590]

Samuel Mikuláško I agree

[@IcelanderUSer]

Christian Gainey Perhaps the numbers have changed. I've looked up your source and it breaks the numbers down this way. Urban whites are 84% satisfied compared to 83% non urban. Income, education, homeowner and age played a difference too. Rural residents are more likely to perceive their communities as having declined. The others about the same. What's not clear is how they dealt with urban suburbs. I suspect far more urban suburbs are classified as rural than should be. Regardless the numbers are very similar for both classifications. And not anywhere near what this person mentioned.

[@IcelanderUSer]

Christian Gainey Wishful thinking? What's your agenda? Have you not visited an American city in the last decade? Even Newark Nj is building skyscrapers for the first time in decades. Thousands of new residential units. Whole Foods. People are moving back to city cores and it's not fake news or a minority opinion. Your sources claimed will confirm this.

[@yacetube]

Suburban life is excelent indeed. Until the day you died out of a heart attack from sitting all day never walking, or cancer from having access to only industrial food supermarkets. Otherwise it's great.

[@manhoosnick]

Suburbs+Better transportation+Walkability = Perfection. Suburbs are actually what is closest to a village or a town and great for community formation. When was the last time someone smiled at you in a city?

[@lancebitoy8912]

Today

[@jayvid9044]

Agreed! All of the improvements = perfection. I personally could not stand the idea of living in a city; cities are not for everyone, they make some people miserable. It's always been that way and always will be. Improving both environments is a great thing though. Also, millennials seem to often get lumped into a single category of all like minded people and that simply is not the case. They're human and diversity is something that will always exist amongst humans.

[@benjamintorres9211]

Dave Blackmen the problem is suburbs are way too spread out with no mixed use, even smaller older towns are quiet it’s just more dense just not as big as cities while still having a “community” feeling

[@IcelanderUSer]

Not sure what this ted exchange is all about. I think what she's saying is that people are tired of the postwar style suburbs and want the original kind of cities. Where you can walk to a downtown or sit on your front porch and talk to your neighbors as they walk by on the sidewalk. D.C. Used to be one of the worst decayed city in America. Now it's one giant renovation. There are no slums in D.C. Anymore. No cheap homes. Same for NYC. I've witnessed an incredible transformation here in NYC. This city has literally been rebuilt from the ground up. And all those kids who grew up in a place where cars were king are saying they want something different. When the get married they move back to a suburban place because it's cheaper. And the cycle repeats.

[@mohamedaminekoubaa5231]

It s actually not cheaper if you factor transportation in.

[@jimmyperson694]

Excellent presentation ! it is 2020 ! What you are speaking about is true. Happening very fast in Atlanta. I saw Atlanta in your presentation.

[@TonyBabarino]

Leigh Gallagher is a great speaker!

[@advancedaircraft]

Fantastic lecture!

[@brettvictory4606]

Great speaker, interesting topic.

[@theophonchareun6708]

Qui est présent ici pour les cours ?

[@Dr.Kananga]

I read her book, really nice.

[@oest2029]

I'm biased: I hate suburban living and I'd love to see the death of the majority of the suburbs in my lifetime. However, as she said at the beginning, 60% of the USA's population lives in the suburbs. I don't see how a significant transition to 'urban-burbs' or to city living is going to take place anytime soon. I hope also that through careful planning and redesigning, suburbias can be transformed into more characteristically urban spaces, rather than simply building new towns/cities/developments to fit the requirement as she seems to be suggesting in the video

[@ig4847]

I live in that neighborhood in new jersey when she talked about the tricker treaters. its weird because i have a bunch of friend and they all live about 30-45 minutes from each other but are considered to live in the same area

[@Basta11]

So basically, go back to how it use to be before restrictive zoning and destructive highways. All over the world except the US, they build this kind of communities.

[@kenhunt5153]

I live in the largest new urbanism project in the Country. On the plus side the homes are different colors and have different facades. We have somewhat of a mix of housing options. We have sidewalks and traffic calming. You are supposedly 5 minutes from a public space. The bad news is since Vardi out if Minneapolis bought it you have Mcmansions now and planned culdasacs. Most drive everywhere. The line up of cars at the schools is disheartening. Most drive to the community gym other than walking or biking. The DT as they call it lacks density and a sense of place. Think a mashup of building materials. If I see any more corten metal I will scream. We live in the second driest State but few of the plantings are Native and KY Bluegrass is the norm.

[@Saebrak]

This is my nightmare. I hate living attached to other people. When I go home I want peace and quiet.

[@thienphucn1]

Then go live in a quiet place as you want. Nobody is forcing you to move to a more dense area.

[@AndrewGouldingsuburbangeek]

Very enjoyable. Like to have seen the uggs with the black dress.

[@senadecacai4280]

Sound good

[@himdotcom]

I heard "Skokie, Illinois" and immediately though of Keyser Soze.

[@MrRooibos123]

Hmm I'm not sure if I fully agree. Prices in major cities are so ludicrously high that often it's cheaper to live in a detached house in the suburbs than an apartment in the city centre - especially with a family where you'll need an even bigger apartment. They have managed to do it in Singapore, but only with an extensive social housing scheme that means families can get larger apartments without having to pay ludicrous amounts of money for them. Of course that would never work in the USA because it would be called socialism and thrown out. In the UK, we have a lot more compact suburbs with terraces and semi-detached houses - I'm typing this from one. But although I'm in closer proximity to my neighbours, it doesn't really mean I interact with them very much. I'll say hello if we're both going to work at the same time but that's about it. There's no real "community" feeling. It just feels less private and cramped. Plus I think with the Coronavirus pandemic, people will want more space and privacy after being cooped up in tiny studio apartments.

[@brendakaira5482]

Maybe what we need tp be adking ourselves is; what is it, that people miss in the urban context that is not in the suburbs, and is especially noticeable after the children have moved out?

[@ericspencer8093]

Easy: sense of community. The suburban plan is by design isolating.

[@notanomad9320]

If the suburbs are dying, then why are they still building and selling so many. There are trade offs to both but for me the city is overtaxed and delivers poor city services like curb to curb street plowing. We complain constantly on the conditions of the streets but not much gets done. I pay twice the property taxes as my daughter who lives in the suburbs and it's night and day how much better their services are. Inner cities are putting money into all kinds of professional sports stadiums and endless non profits that get a break on taxes or don't pay any. It's frustrating. Why did Detroit die?

[@xoopaxoopa414]

Walleye because the automobile industry left

[@voidremoved]

eh just shut up and buy her book I guess? she is wrong tho and wasted her life studying the wrong thing... once transportation changes, everything will be dandy. and that is right around the corner.

[@mdp5002221]

She's referring to some of these sprawling outer suburbs too far from where we work.

[@Tampa0123456789]

Suburbs "are " dying ........its just that most don't understand what a Bubble looks like. Suburbs have always been a Ponzi scheme. During 2008 we got a wake up call but everyone went back to sleep. The Suburbs have never never ever ever been sustainable. Look at each new Suburb 20 years later. They start decaying as people move to the newer Suburbs but now we have reached the End of the Ponzi scheme. No more imigrants comming accross the boders to fill up the old Neighborhoods. No more Young people moving to the Suburbs cause they have no money. The boomers will have to down size too so what is going to happen is ....The Suburbs will now get a taste of what the inner city got back in the days. Decay and crime.

[@plebiansociety]

Opens with 'raise your hand if you still live in a Suburb' at Ted Talk in D.C., smh...

[@tomgeraci9886]

Yeah, DC (and to a lesser extent, Boston and San Francisco) have some of the most walkable, desirable suburbs anywhere. DC’s suburbs are probably the most urban suburbs out of any metro area in the country,

[@buchflower]

not so subtle advertising for toll brothers

[@Sergei_Ivanovich_Mosin]

I honestly believe I'd be happier slitting my wrists than being forced to live in the city, suburbs might not be great but at the very least I can have some privacy and I can see the sky if I look directly up

[@zakyjaafar3946]

All these shows that people want to do all the Work, Play and Live within walking distance.

[@dontgettoknowm9864]

No emphasis on energy efficiency or relieving gridlock with bike and walking paths to high density employment nor parks. I like her ideas but all these properties are upper middle class dwellings. What about the masses?

[@lamardavis2121]

Urbanburbs literally means urban urban

[@dfpolitowski2]

The suburbs are not dead. Its living too far from your neighbor. Sprawl is the problem not suburbs. Also a problem is industry leaving the area (country). Did anyone every see a 4500 sq ft house to a family with just one child?

[@xoopaxoopa414]

Toolmaker yes

[@TravelingRailfan]

Is it just me or is this lady completely leaving out living in a small town or rural area.

[@TECfan1]

Matthew Regner People don't want to live in a rural area.

[@kidcitylynnwood6324]

Matthew Regner it's part of her UN agenda 21 brainwashing.

[@TECfan1]

KidCity Lynnwood That is literally the stupidest thing I've heard in a while.

[@kidcitylynnwood6324]

T.E.C._1 wrong, people are moving to Idaho from Seattle and the bay area in droves. Don't be rude, no reason for it, and it won't work with me.

[@TECfan1]

KidCity Lynnwood People are moving EVERYWHERE in droves. Because people keep having children and the human race is growing at an alarming rate. And don't even with the polite thing. This is the internet.

[@davejoseph5615]

Suburban malls are dying -- but not the suburbs themselves -- except perhaps in areas where major employers have left the area.

[@wednesdayschild3627]

This comment didn't age well. The young people do not want a mcmansion. They do not want a huge lawn.

[@davejoseph5615]

@@wednesdayschild3627 Yeah, that's why suburban house prices are rising fast while cities are fighting a violent crime wave.

[@aaronpiltz9009]

I like the opening.... Suburbs are uniquely an American dream.... Lol, said by an American that thinks the world is USA and everywhere else is third world.... Sorry but America is just like many other 1st world nations. She is right that all of these countries have developers trying to build cool new suburbs but that doesn't change the real problem, jobs... Big business is not moving onto the suburbs... So what did I hear you say about suburbs and bad commutes???!!

[@ragejinraver]

As George Carlin once said the reason that they call that the American dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it

[@petitecheriecocoenrose7256]

@@ragejinraver haaahaaahaaa🌺🌹🌺🌹🌺🌹🌺🌹🌺☺

[@romanbukins6527]

What about the Brittish new town model...

[@justinrodriguez3751]

S/O all my peoples from philly ✊🏼

[@geoffreylee5199]

Flatten a mall, good reuse.

[@Lewater974]

☺☺

[@charbver4273]

Bien le bjr

[@daviddement1550]

Don't like her choice of sources.

[@piercismpropagandanetwork9846]

I would just live on a farm

[@bentonrp]

Me too. You wanna tree? There's a real tree in its real environment. You want it bordered in cement instead? There's the tools, there's the shop, you make it like you want. The country will always be great to me. :)

[@piercismpropagandanetwork9846]

benton r.p. Me too I currently live on a farm and love it!

[@icewatta3155]

👉🦁👈

[@jamiemackie3994]

There is already a place between the city and suburb its called the hood. Its where you live when you cant afford to live in the other two options.

[@curious5691]

4:00 am is the Magic hour to leave if you’re going to go from San Diego through LA. Last time I left on a Sunday, I never saw more than 10 cars ahead of me. My wife is sleeping so I took video because she wouldn’t of believed it. When I told somebody at an event what I had witnessed, she didn’t believe me. I actually had a show her the videos. I never made it to my toes I, more than 10 cars ahead of me. I doubt this will ever happen again, but it was nice to experience what it was like to drive in San Diego in the 60s, one more time. Where I live in San Diego, I can make it to Coronado, or Balboa Park, my two walks in 12 minutes at the height of traffic. In Southern Oregon, we call 10 cars a traffic jam. Anna Crafter so I travel, but I make sure that I’m on the right side of the traffic flow when I wake up, and go to sleep

[@kalsifr6]

Wow, re-creating small towns

[@joshthalheimer]

While I agree with the premise - the demographics of TED Talk attendees are not a good example. Of course, most of these folks live in affluent city centers.

[@jayvid9044]

That is a very good point. This talk was very bias.

[@alexandermcleman6101]

@@jayvid9044 biased in that she says there should be more options?

[@TundrasIgloo]

I believe that all this "buzz" about urbanization is simply the result of a wet dream conjured up by wealthy investors and big developers. Think about it. The most valuable land surrounding our major employment hubs is pretty much built up. A good part of it (not all) is low density. It's the most valuable land, with the most potential for luxury development and high profits. How is a developer to rake in the big bucks now that these areas are "settled". You have to get rid of the suburbs and replace with something else. So, you create a "problem" that doesn't exist and tell everyone the suburbs are dying. Then you gleefully tear down what was built just 20-40 years ago and gentrify, gentrify, gentrify. This happily displaces the current middle class population and replaces with a play ground and investment opportunities for the wealthy.

[@WarriorOfWriters]

The key is making work and living space accessible within median-to-high-density spaces through land and property regulation. Land owners shouldn't scale rents to demand. Businesses should encourage central habitation for their own benefit, working in tandem with local consumers.

[@ericspencer8093]

Good guess, but wrong. The suburban plan is financially insolvent. It costs more to maintain and service all those miles of winding streets, green spaces, utility lines and policing then the number of people living there can or will fund. The result is bankrupt local governments and decay of infrastructure and public services. This is why suburbs are only "nice" when they're new and in a growth stage. Once they stop growing, they immediately go into decline---hence why the outer-most suburbs are always the trendy, desirable places to live and the inner, older 'burbs become crime-ridden ghettos. It's a non-stop cycle of build, decay, move out further and build again. It's also why commutes into the city keep getting longer and longer.

[@paneas8879]

@Dave Blackmen Exactly. And corporations. Corporations wants their employers closer. If you had slaves you want them to live near your house or 50 miles away?

[@icewatta3155]

Ouais mais pk tu insulte

[@Lewater974]

😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏❤❤❤

[@dankadybong7948]

they should focus on the drone taxi as the main new method of transport. make that main stream with a billion drone taxis and forget about traffic jams and stress. countryside farm houses will probably be the most desired if traffic times are drastically reduced with personal air traffic.

[@kurtisreid2504]

The sky is only clear right now, cause no one is driving on them.

[@ilcubo32]

We want to be able to peacefully look at a landscape (both urban and rural) with almost nothing ruining it. Also walking is way cheaper.

[@dannyabe6452]

And you can live on a homestead with animals in the country like I do.

[@icewatta3155]

Wesh

[@markmoore5530]

I love the Burbs.

[@ibuprofenPill]

The suburbs are not dying. I live in Plano, TX and believe me there are some things that annoy me, but others I like. We have great streets. We pay our fire and police a great salary and the response times are less than 5 minutes in most cases. Look at a crime map online, Plano has a lower rate than most surrounding suburbs. I also like the location for getting out of the Metroplex. A two-to-four hour drive north or northeast will put you in the Kiamichi, Arbuckle, Ouachita or the Ozark Mountains. We have a great parks and rec department with well-kept and clean facilities. Our libraries also subscribe to a couple awesome research databases like Lexus Nexus and EBSCO. Every now and then I need to get scientific about something and I only need to drive five minutes instead of trip to the nearest major university. It's also clean here; just take a trip to Garland or Arlington and you'll see what I mean. Plano has very well-kept streets. Just take a drive down into Dallas and to see what total neglect looks like. We have entertainment districts on both the east and west sides of the city. There is also great live music and food in Plano including all ethnic groups and AWESOME steakhouses. It didn't used to be this way, 20 years ago Plano didn't have its own entertainment districts until we figured out people are more than willing to stay here than make a trip down to Dallas. The suburbs to the south and north of us also have or are also working on their own entertainment districts. The main drawbacks are horrible traffic and sprawl. In Texas we have zoning laws, but they're easily and often circumvented by referendum. The main issue now is apartment overbuilding. Some of us feel there are enough and I'm one of them, even though I'm still an apartment dweller. Plano is also a little politically conservative for my taste, but even so we all pay to have nice things. That isn't possible down in Dallas. The other thing I hate is the fact businesses don't move to Plano (especially west Plano) to competitively price their goods and services. I call it the "Plano Premium". I tried to buy tires from a national chain and by the time I walked out, the guy has slashed the price by over $300. Because of the games they tried to play with me, I declined the offer and went to our southern neighbor Richardson, TX and found four brand new, name-brand tires for even less than the other guy's cheapest quote. All in all, I see so many people swear they hated Plano but eventually come back. It's a great safe place to raise a family or just live. It's what you want to make it. There are other DFW suburbs I'd consider just as lively as Plano. Her choice of sources seems a little flimsy and this new trend of which she speaks are still just microcosms at this point. Food for though maybe, but I don't see a revolution headed our way just yet.

[@AlexCab_49]

Sadly only those who can afford it will move there while poor people will likely move to the suburbs but ny then they will be more like slums were they have no choice but to drive and for the poor, car ownership is EXPENSIVE

[@Callejeromoments]

Gentrification

[@silverbk718]

Seems like the Unum Sanctum policy of the Spanish Inquisition is really trying to pick up steam and kill off the heirs to largest estate in the world quickly.

[@icewatta3155]

React to this : ok

[@martinsahagunsiles3513]

All the "whiteand conservatives Americans" offended by this video. How funny is that 😂

[@samtoshner8002]

They're offended by everything new and different. And they call liberals "snowflakes"! :-D

[@thewildone5345]

Sam Toshner lmao yall are offended by gendered bathrooms.

[@samtoshner8002]

Nah fam it's the hate for LGBT folks that bothers liberals

[@nutmaster7794]

Better than living in cramped, overpriced cities

[@behindyou666]

Thats because suburbanites have destroyed the cities

[@Lewater974]

La daronne a Lucas en sueur

[@sjstrauss]

Not everyone is enamored with traffic, noise, crime, and human feces and needles everywhere. Been to Seattle lately? Thanks but I'll hang in the burbs and enjoy my view, the solitude and wildlife.

[@thaddeusjameson1119]

The American nightmare

[@bmw803]

And what do you do if you can't afford living in the so called "city" or even worse, the city center/downtown??? No one wants to live 60 miles away from work, but we have no financial choice. Also, if you take all the population from the suburbs, where are they going to go in the city? So, crush down the suburbs to stack people like sardines in the city?? No thanks!!! I rather drive the 20-30 miles and have peace and quiet from all the noise of the city core.

[@djwestbrook36]

the whole point is to make the suburbs better while still being away from the major center city. its not gonna make it too noisy

[@jadenmilez1432]

just stop it. you will be fine. the majority of people Don't even have all this choice your talking about. The American dream. You know what you sound like and who you wanted to hear.

[@Lewater974]

Wesh Rauch

[@jimmy_octane]

Given that the majority of the TedX audience is educated liberals the survey that she does at the beginning doesn't mean much

[@icewatta3155]

🍑🍑

[@ianwynne5483]

Suburbs are not uniquely the American way of life, her first sentence. Ffs

[@lordoftheflings]

This talk is nothing but words. The fact is, America has done irreparable damage to its landscape and its society with its housing and city design over the past 6 decades. Unfortunately, now americans must sleep in the bed they have made for the past 60 years far far far into the foreseeable future. They just better hope and pray that nothing shocks the oil supply or all those suburbs will quickly turn into slums for as far as the eye can see. You made yourself a shit sandwich, and now you have to eat it. Bon Appetit!

[@christiangainey1223]

"The State of the City Poll, which surveyed a representative sample of over 1,600 U.S. adults on a wide-ranging set of topics related to quality of life and local government policies, found that all things considered, Americans who live in suburban areas are the most satisfied with the places where they live. Among suburbanites, 84 percent of those surveyed rated the communities where they live as overall excellent or good, compared to 75 percent of urban dwellers and 78 percent of rural residents." This woman's opinion is a minority opinion. In the 2010 U.S. census, the majority of Americans (55%) lived in suburbs, about 12% lived in rural areas/small towns and the rest lived in major cities. The reason to why there was a SLIGHT sudden decrease of people living in suburbs and a slight increase of people moving into cities was directly related and a result of the Housing Crash of 2008...However, recent U.S. Census data from the national American Community Survey, conducted every few years, shows that this trend has been reversing in the past few years as suburban growth is increasing compared to cities; as Americans are again buying their dream homes in the suburbs. In my opinion, this entire speech of hers is just wishful thinking by a tiny minority opinion.

[@christiangainey1223]

Also, the U.S. is one of the least densest nations on the planet by population and is the world's fourth largest nation by area. The entire "suburban sprawl is destroying the environment" argument is not very realistic and makes no sense. Houses are just buildings and do no more or less "damage" to the evironment than buildings in cities...the only difference is that you have a lawn and trees in the suburbs while people in the city have a lonely fern plant in the lobby of their condo high rise or apartment. If anything, suburbs and small towns have far more "environment" than the city.

[@lordoftheflings]

+Christian Gainey lol of course American cities are shitty because they are douchebaggedly designed cities. Modelled after Le Corbusier's Radiant city which consists of highrise office parks, maybe some high-end condos, and everyone else lives in the suburbs. He was laughed out of France but heralded as a "genius" in American schools of urban planning. So yes, American cities are by and large indeed crappy. I agree with you. American cities are for superficial glitz and glam, not for actual living by regular people. Thats why its basically an office park with a high-end shopping district, some extravagantly priced highrise soulless condos, surrounded by large sections of poor "inner city" and everyone else lives in the suburbs. The lonely suburbs where all there is to do is sit infront of your swimming-pool-sized flat screen TV, drive to the closes big box shopping center, and maintain your big ass lawn thats attached to your oversized house in your deserted neighborhood where you rarely, if ever, see anyone walking, or know the names of your neighbors. Paving over woodlands and marshes to build suburban housing development plots does no environmental damage? Having to drive everywhere at all times, in your big ass SUV does no environmental damage? Not to mention the huge 6 lane roads we have going everywhere that crumbles apart in a few years and is not maintainable because its INSANELY expensive to maintain 6 lane roads everywhere, and you dont have a dense enough tax base to collect enough money to do so? Not to mention the repeated big box stores and their 1000 acre parking lots that have to be built everywhere, and the gas stations, and the fast food places, etc, etc. But worst of all is the extreme psychological isolation and anti-social environment and just the mind numbing and depressing banality of it. Everyone holed up in their little "castle" distrusting and suspicious of their neighbors. As long as I get mine, screw my neighbor, is the resulting attitude.

[@christiangainey1223]

Yea, see... now you're getting it! Just as long as people are happy with where they live, nothing else matters. They are completely satisfied and content. :)

[@Cyrus992]

Good points, but that does not mean the people surveyed are really satisfied with everything when it comes to the suburbs. Many choose to live in the suburbs because urban areas or older walkable areas are too dense, crime ridden, expensive, etc... However many of those still believe their suburbs have flawed due to its function and planning.

[@Thewonderingminds]

interesting legs !

[@robertkelly9772]

gourglisou sopa I was contemplating the heels.

[@Whoo711]

Lack of sidewalks Yeah, I suppose that sucks, but it really varies from subdivision to subdivision, doesn't it? Some have much, and some have little. ...Unless there are stats from an 'official source' claiming that "most" don't have sidewalks that this woman is basing her claim off of? Every major suburb I've lived in or been to has had some variety of sidewalk area. Might be a bit diff. for townhouses or condos, but houses, surely, have a lot of sidewalks nearby, though I guess they could always do w/ more

[@metatrongroove2824]

Ok Karen!

[@bentonrp]

@MetatronGroove - Lolol! … "Or they're called Silverliningsplaybookburbs." Are you fuu**ing kidding me.

[@behindyou666]

Karens love their suburbs, what are you talking about?

[@TheHappybunny671]

Hello does this lady not know what gentrification is? Smh

[@maxi-me]

I'm sure she means well but when people say "suburbs are dying" what they mean is "white people are fleeing" and I find that rather elitist. Kind of like the old phrase about some defamed hotspot: "Nobody goes there anymore cause everybody's going there." The rising Hispanic culture(whom will largely inherit this country by the end of the century) seem to be adopting the bygone lifestyles that whites abandoned decades ago. Public park picnics, blue collar pride, organized (adult) sports leagues, honoring their responsibility to the elders, helping neighbors......the list goes on. This type of lifestyle is what the burbs were designed for and has become useless to the white population. BTW I live in the burbs and I assure you they are alive and kicking much more than the faux dives and street fairs served by trust fund artist boomers of the modern gentrified cityscape.

[@Conan776]

You must keep in mind how cities in most of the rest of the Americas work. The wealthy live inside the city and the poor live in a circle around it. Falling down McMansions is just the new inner ring. It would just be great that if over time these could be replaced nicer neighborhoods, towns, and city centers, employment -- which to some extent describes where I live myself. (A decade ago, the market did go through a huge correction over the McMansion hype.)

[@lordoftheflings]

America in the midst of great change? Hah! hardly.

[@IcelanderUSer]

lordoftheflings It's changing quite a lot. I just hope not in the way Donald trump wants. Americas great northern cities are being rebuilt from the ground up. Transit is bursting at the seems. Prices are going through the roof. I just hope trump doesn't stop this trend and send the world into a massive economic depression. The USA will lose more jobs than it creates because of his climate change denial. The world will boycott everything American. Thanks Donald for making America stupid again.

[@kernelsanderzz]

B bo you were so right in this prediction. America's economy has collapsed because of blurmph. All because he hates SCIENCE. Im glad there are other high iq individuals such as yourself out in this world. People who are independent thinkers and dont blindly follow the narrative of the media, tv, hollywood, corporate america, and academia, who are all virulently PRO TRUMP. We think for ourselves! /s

[@geoffreylee5199]

Taking houses further into the country, wrongo!

[@12MrBo]

Where are poor people gonna go?

[@stevenglansburg856]

12MrBo kill, kill, kill, kill the poor. Why do you think they invented the atom bomb?

[@xoopaxoopa414]

Steven Glansburg the atom bomb was invented to make the Japanese surrender in WWII. It is also very shortsighted to want somebody dead just because of their financial state

[@stevenglansburg856]

Xoopa Xoopa it’s a song, you loon. A satirical song.

[@heru-deshet359]

She's too hot to listen to.

[@petitecheriecocoenrose7256]

Actually, She SO IS NOT💀

[@afriendofafriend5766]

"Makes trick or Treating hard on Halloween" That's a good thing... for some of us. Get off my lawn!

[@MrSvenovitch]

Once the trucks stop running we're going to a Mad Max world in which only predators will survive a wee bit longer than the rest, I'm guessing until the last food tins are empty. Is it a bad thing that this pointless race that runs in circles on a blue ball in space ultimately won't exist anymore? Seeing all the misery we cause ourselves and each other I don't cry a single tear at the prospect.

[@swunt10]

good god that woman has the body of a goddess.

[@romancetips365]

So they want to make suburbia more urban. That means apparmnrts, less trees, more shops. They want to take away your beautiful gardens. The elite see space of only 3 types of living for those below them. In apparltments or towns surrounded by farms. And a few protected forests so they can hunt game. These forests will eventually be walled away from the general public as they're moved into verious communities, or communes. They don't want people to have their own space and be independent. Suburbia provides a biodiverse range of trees and flowers as people like to grow different plants to decorate their gardens. Suburbia needs more beekeeping. Less monocrop lawns. No cutting big old trees down. Perhaps people can add small shops on their land and trade things

[@jus4795]

I live In an urban area. With a five minute walk I can reach the forest. There are a lot of small shops here where you can just walk in, buy whatever you need and be at home 10 minutes later. I don’t have to own a car to go anywhere.

[@dfc99nyc]

She's so wrong. NYC's suburbs are prosperous safe thriving communities. Keep dreaming lady.

[@Cyrus992]

The ones by the city are.

[@MichaelNaness]

Cyrus992 Long Island is doing great. The population has been steady and slightly increasing... it’s pretty far from the city.

[@xoopaxoopa414]

Yes but they are far away and oil prices are rising, people want more density but not city density. They want to know people and love close to work

[@mrgilmore6953]

Kids dont play outside anymore. They just want to be able to walk into a Starbucks, and burry their heads in their phones while they "hang out" with their friends

[@WarriorOfWriters]

That's only a problem to people who grew up thinking their quater-acre was a paradise. To the average millennial, that quarter acre is a social barrier.

[@WaterMan-ss6eb]

There’s something just different about this woman and it makes me hot for her.

[@jamessockdaleiii9995]

uniquely WHITE!

[@TrelliessRose]

Aaand... all this sh!t will be poorly built and will decay into projects in a generation.

[@thaddeusjameson1119]

Demented and sad

[@ELFELICIANO]

Get out of the burbs and share the air with the thugs in the city.

[@myusernameissoobnoxiouslyl1466]

Trump please save the suburbs from sleepy joe