FROM CITIES TO SUBURBIA AND BACK (PART 1) RICK TOBIN
For better or worse, many towns, cities, and even
countries are beginning to look more and more alike
as we progress through the 21st century. The
“suburbanization” and the “franchization” of both
America and the rest of the world are making housing
communities, retail centers, and shopping malls look
quite
similar
with
these
“cookie-cutter”
type
communities.
The same franchised fast food outlets, coffee shops,
and mega mall outlets continue to pop up around the
The flight from urban centers like New York City
U.S. and the world. In addition, more housing
began shortly after the Great Depression (1929 –
subdivisions are being designed and built in styles
1939). Very few housing units were built in the
consistent
1930s or 1940s during that time range. This time
with
California
Mediterranean,
Southwestern Ranch, or Northeastern Cape Cod.
period was the prime depressive era of “The Great
Depression” and World War II. Shortly
after the end of World War II, there was
a tremendous demand for housing.
As the cost of housing in the crowded
urban centers began to increase, areas
outside the city limits began to look
more attractive to people. Suburban
sprawl,
now
the
standard
North
American pattern of growth, was driven
both by demand for more affordable
properties, increased availability to
transportation (i.e. cars, buses, and
subways), and the new efficiency of
Almost 100 years ago, more people lived within the
builders to deliver mass-produced housing tracts.
cities than in the rural or suburban areas. The early to
mid-century years of the 20th century had an
Home builders began to model their development
increase in the size of large metropolitan areas such
business after the automobile assembly lines
as New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago.
developed by the Ford Motor Company. Home
The traditional urban neighborhood consisted of
builders used the mass-production assembly line,
pedestrian friendly areas where one could walk to
and converted it so that workers moved from
work, schools, restaurants, and to other places.
different locations to perform the same specific