Suburbs Without The Sprawl

Joel Kotkin looks to Reston, Virginia, and other suburban villages as the new way for America to handle an increasing population without succumbing to the negative aspects of traditional sprawl.

1 minute read

October 24, 2006, 11:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

"Despite their unrelenting march to the peripheries, Americans remain deeply uneasy about its social and environmental impacts. The New Urbanists are correct in one important aspect: many suburbanites express a real yearning for the type of social cohesion created by authentic places."

"Clearly we need a planning model that embraces both the need for community and our continuing desire for privacy, space, and autonomy. We call our model the Suburban Village. Individually these villages would be self-sustaining communities-vibrant hubs-offering a variety of economic, cultural, and social benefits. Nationally we see the potential for a network of such communities-an archipelago of villages-that if smartly designed and fully wired would eliminate the need for unnecessary commutes, provide a better quality of life for residents, and create opportunities for the preservation of open space."

FULL STORY: Toward a New Archipelago

Wednesday, October 11, 2006 in Metropolis Magazine

Architecture Housing Land Use United States

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