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Urban Lifestyle Preference On The Rise

Posted by: Irvin Dawid
Thanks to: Climate Plan
4 August 2010 - 2:00pm

Using the 15-year-old transformation of Rockville, MD's mall-centered downtown to a mixed-use town square as an example, the real estate industry sees the suburban-to-urban lifestyle change spreading across much of the country.

Reuters suggests that the change will be hastened by the aging baby boomers that seek a more walkable environment with urban amenities that are not available in much of 1950s-suburbia. In addition, it will be profitable for urban developers as home-seekers will pay a premium for these residences.

"Rockville (MD)'s renaissance over the past four years shows how the shift toward urban-style living has reached the suburbs. And urban planners insist the trend has legs."

"The unexpected revival of a number of cities, from Rockville to Sacramento, stands in contrast to plunging home prices in the suburbs. "America is catching on to this trend," said Peter Calthorpe, who co-founded the Congress for the New Urbanism in 1993 to create alternatives to the conventional suburb."

Full Story: Special Report: Smart Money in Real Estate Is on Smart Growth
Source: Reuters via ABC News/Money, August 3, 2010
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In pursuit of energy efficiency, industry spends tens of millions of dollars to pull a few pounds of weight out of our cars, trucks, and jets with exotic alloys; then we show up to fill the seats sporting a few extra pounds of corn syrup sucrose, carbs, and saturated fat to offset any savings.
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