More Common Ground Sought for the 'Future of Suburbia'

A review of the recent "Future of Suburbia" event held at the Center for Advanced Urbanism at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

2 minute read

June 15, 2016, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Exurbs Black and White

Worker101 / Flickr

"Whether we are aware of it or not, even the most self-consciously curated 'urban' lives are staged and supplied by the jumbled realm of suburbia," begins an in-depth article by Amada Kolson Hurley examining the recent "Future of Suburbia" event held at the Center for Advanced Urbanism (CAU) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Unlike a previous article by Randy Rieland, Kolson Hurley's article offers a more critical reading of the event's proceedings, including the implied criticism of the event's single-minded support of a suburban agenda.

Also present, however, is a sympathetic ear toward the need to have a critical discussion about suburbia, rather than just falling back to the often-elitist biases assumed by self-proclaimed urbanists. "All in all, CAU is making a concerted bid to reposition suburbia as a serious subject of design inquiry," explains Kolson Hurley. "It couldn’t have come soon enough."

Among a detailed account of the event's proceedings, Kolson Hurley also makes a nuanced point about how the event's politics differs from the approache taken by "Reformers," who would retrofit suburbia. Instead, the CAU has created a space for "Validators":

They believe that suburbia is fundamentally OK. They maintain that when people have options, they will usually choose to live in a single-family home in the suburbs, and for intellectuals to resist this is classist and perverse. Validators point out (correctly) that the much-hyped urban revival we keep reading about is mostly limited to affluent white Gen Xers and Millennials. At the conference, economist Jed Kolko analyzed recent census data to show that on the whole, America continues to suburbanize.

To conclude the article, however, Kolson Hurley critiques that framework by noting the neglected subject of environmental impact of suburban land use. That criticism transitions into an appeal for further inquiry and continued effort at finding a common ground for "Reformers," "Validators," and urbanists alike.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016 in Architect

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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.