Is There A 'War Against Suburbia'?

Joel Kotkin charges that suburban living is under attack by planners and environmentalists, and the frontline is Los Angeles, where L.A.'s new mayor has declared suburbs 'an old concept.'

1 minute read

January 16, 2006, 11:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Suburbia, the preferred way of life across the advanced capitalist world, is under an unprecedented attack -- one that seeks to replace single-family residences and shopping centers with an "anti-sprawl" model beloved of planners and environmental activists.

...Experts differ on the impact of these regulations, but it certainly has not created the new urbanist nirvana widely promoted by Portland's boosters. Strict growth limits have driven population and job growth further out, in part by raising the price of land within the growth boundary, to communities across the Columbia River in Washington state and to distant places in Oregon. Suburbia has not been crushed, but simply pushed farther away.

...It is time politicians recognized how their constituents actually want to live. If not, they will only hurt their communities, and force aspiring middle-class families to migrate ever further out to the periphery for the privacy, personal space and ownership that constitutes the basis of their common dreams."

[Editor's note: The link below is available to non-subscribers for a period of five days.]

Thanks to Hugh Pavletich

Saturday, January 14, 2006 in The Wall Street Journal

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

October 14, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Cars driving under automatic congestion pricing toll machines on Broadway next to the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan, New York City.

Data reveals that NYC’s bet on congestion pricing has paid off

After almost two years of the program, reports show positive impacts on traffic and air quality and no disruptions to parking.

October 13, 2026 - Marcelo Remond

A row of tiny homes in Denver

Denver is solving homelessness. Why aren't the rest of us?

Since 2023, Denver's street homeless population has decreased by 64%, proving that effective tools exist to support those in need of housing.

October 14, 2026 - New York Times

A suburban area of California.

Will sprawl save California?

California residents will vote on Proposition 45 in November, which would make it easier to build large housing developments on the outskirts of the state’s cities.

2 hours ago - New York Times

A leaking oil well in Texas contaminates a field.

Texas suburbs are popping up around old oil wells. Some are starting to leak

Several plugged wells in Texas have failed in recent years, endangering those who unknowingly settled nearby.

3 hours ago - Inside Climate News

Two Black children roller skate.

This Chicago neighborhood is using planning to increase life expectancy

The Garfield Park Quality-Of-Life Plan aims to bring residents everything from easier access to fresh food to revitalized commercial corridors.

4 hours ago - Block Club Chicago