Pushing Back on 'Suburban Triumphalism'

Interested observers have been predicting a crest of the American "back to the city" movement for years now—the idea that as Millennials come of age they will lose interest in urban lifestyles and seek the comfort of the suburbs.

1 minute read

April 17, 2018, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Suburban School Crossing

rSnapshotPhotos / Shutterstock

Joe Cortright pushed back on the narrative of "suburban triumphalism" that has been emerging in the national media lately—i.e., that "the era of the city is over, and that Americans, including young adults, are ready to decamp to the suburbs." Cortright identifies recent appearances by Jed Kolko, Joel Kotkin, Conor Sen, and Joel Garreau as evidence of this narrative.

Cortright offers a list of counter-arguments to that viewpoint, including critiques of the total numbers, the geographic units used to measure the trends, the numbers used to measure the trends, and other points about development capacity in cities.

Cortright digs in greater detail into the specifics of each counter-argument, but one big point is that prices—much higher in cities—tell a story of high demand and constrained supply. If cities weren't so popular, they'd be cheaper.

Cortright also looks at Chicago as a case study of an urban core outperforming its suburban communities relative to historic trends. Cortright also offers this conclusion: "When you look city-by-city at the data, its apparent that urban centers are extremely robust, are attracting more talented young workers, and the firms who want to employ them." 

Thursday, April 12, 2018 in City Observatory

Black and white Rideshare Pick-Up Zone sign

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing

From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

June 1, 2023 - Human Transit

Red on white 'Room for Rent, Inquire Inside' sign

In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living

Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.

May 24, 2023 - The Atlantic

Vancouver Chuck Wolfe

Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown

In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.

May 24, 2023 - GeekWire

Vacant storefront in historic building on Powell Street in San Francisco, California

Few Landlords Pay San Francisco Vacancy Tax

Less than 3 percent of properties potentially subject to a new vacancy tax were filed as vacant in the last year, but empty storefronts in the city persist.

7 hours ago - San Francisco Chronicle

Aerial view of manufactured home being dropped off or moved by red truck in mobile home park

In Spite of Affordability Crisis, Richmond Rejects Manufactured Housing Plan

After declaring a housing crisis, the Virginia capital’s city council voted against a proposed manufactured home warehouse that would distribute replacements for aging manufactured housing stock.

June 4 - Greater Greater Washington

Graphic for '1000 Joys of Planning' with The Planning Commission Podcast

A Planning Commission Podcast Journey: The 1,000 Joys of Planning

The Commissioners explore the facets of the planning profession that fill their cups with joy.

June 4 - The Planning Commission Podcast

Project Manager III

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

UDO Transportation Planner

City of Charlotte - Charlotte Area Transit

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.