Should Cities Take A Lesson From Suburbs?
Instead of blaming their problems on them, cities should learn lessons from suburbs about how to make places where people want to live, according to this editorial.
"Many regionalists point to a 2003 Brookings Report study as their creed. The report, whose basic premise is that bigger centralized government is better government, blames the problems of the cities on too much suburban growth and too much local control."
"Suburban municipalities aren't without their faults, but there is still much to be learned from suburban governmental models."
"Suburban communities, have put much time and energy into building a community in which families want to live, and businesses want to locate."
"These are the economic realities our cities need to recognize and adapt."
"No form of regionalization will solve the unique challenges facing our cities. We need strong leaders who will take the bold steps necessary to create livable urban communities for our children to play."
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easier said than done
"Cities can learn from the way suburbs operate"...
Yeah, if only cities could zone out their poor, homeless, and other undesirables. Kick out the social services. Then start their school districts all over from scratch, only having to educate the middle and upper income kids left after said zoning. Oh, and sell off downtown shopping streets to private developers so any undesirable can be booted out for causing a disturbance and not buying anything. Oh yeah, then knock down half the city so everyone has ample parking...
Basically, whoever wrote that article understands little about cities.
It's kind of funny that the declining American cities that have suburbanized their landscapes are some of the most unattractive places fail to draw visitors, while cities that have best retained their urban character and vibrancy are the most successful.