Lisa McGirr looks at the growing challenge of suburban poverty, which in the last decade has climbed by 25 percent (almost five times faster than cities), and the larger trends that it signifies.
According to McGirr the effects of this demographic shift are that, "soaring poverty rates threaten the very foundations of suburban identities, suburban politics and the suburb's place in the nation's self-image...The climbing rates of suburban poverty mark a definitive end to the Fordist model of mass production and consumption, and its most internationally recognized poster child: homogeneous middle class families cradled safely in ever expanding suburban developments."
However, as McGirr explains, this traditional image of the suburbs was always somewhat of a fantasy, and its growth was founded on an unsteady terrain of state welfare and private speculation.
According to McGirr, the suburbs are unprepared to dealing with the challenges their residents increasingly face, including gaining access to public services they need, the geographic challenges of decentralized living, and the exodus of the well-to-do for new exurbs and gentrifying urban centers.
And together, these changes and challenges may have a profound effect on the traditional political allegiances and policy demands associated with suburban residents.
"The new poverty may well loosen the suburbs' historic ties to the Republican Party with its emphasis on individualist solutions. Looking toward the future, the new suburban poverty should sound an alarm bell that the suburban "way of life" itself may be better suited to an era now past. It suggests that we should rethink public policies that have long favored homeowners and decentralized living," argues McGirr.
FULL STORY: The New Suburban Poverty

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie