Downward mobility
Time to rethink the suburbs. Again.
An article in The Nation points out that our perceptions about the suburbs need some revising. New studies show dramatic change:
[A] historic milestone ... has gone strangely ignored: For the first time ever, more poor Americans live in the suburbs than in all our cities combined.
It's a funny phenomenon: increasingly dense, diverse and poor, the suburbs are becoming the new "city," while increasingly affluent downtowns loaded with veritcal sprawl are becoming the new 'burbs.
Like what you just read? Support high quality local journalism by becoming a member of Crosscut.com today!
Comments:
Posted Mon, Apr 16, 9:54 p.m. inappropriate
its' gentrification: Since about 1980, the affluent professionals have been reclaiming desirable parts of central cities. There is a good sized literature on what is generally called "gentrification". While this is originally market-driven, cities have come to encourage it by zoning (densification), transportation investments, etc. as it vastly increases city tax revenues, and conveniently displaces pooer families out to the older less attractive suburbs.
Posted Tue, Apr 24, 4:32 p.m. inappropriate
In with the Rich, Out with the Poor!: