Why do Suburbs Face Distinctive Challenges? Ch. 13 Key Issue 4 Why do Suburbs Face Distinctive Challenges?

FIGURE 13-20

Metropolitan Statistical Area Another definition of a city that accounts for the wide zone of influence of major cities What does it include?*** Urbanized area of 50,000+ County that city is located in Adjacent counties w/ high pop density and large % of workers in the central cities county

Urban Expansion Overlapping Metropolitan Areas Counties may send large number of commuters to large cities BosNYWash megalopolis

FIGURE 13-21

Peripheral Model Chauncey Harris (mult. Nuclei guy) Newest “transformation” on the city model Inner city surrounded by suburbs and businesses tied together by beltway (ring road) Shows problems of sprawl (edge cities) and segregation in suburbs

FIGURE 13-22

Density Gradient “Density Decrease” Lower pop density as you move away from the center of the city Recent changes give a more uniform density Fewer people living in the center “gap” in the center where few are living Fewer differences in density w/in urban areas Density decrease in center (abandonment); Density increase periphery

FIGURE 13-23

Cost of Suburban Sprawl Not built contiguously with rest of built-up area “Swiss cheese” development Fixed with “Infill development” Roads/utilities built to connect areas Wasted land and energy Greenbelts in UK Smart growth in US

Would-be Infill Development FIGURE 13-24

Suburban Segregation Segregated in 2 ways: Segregated social classes Segregated land use

Residential Segregation Vertical segregation turns to territorial segregation Houses built to suit similar lifestyles cost, location, size  excludes certain people Zoning Regulations Prevents mixing of land uses Apartments separate from housing separate from industry/commercial

Effects of Residential Segregation Older suburbs next to city = same issues seen in inner-city: Gentrifying inner-city attracts middle class Better tax base provides better services here Low income pushed to inner suburbs Deterioraitng tax base deteriorates services here Middle class could move further out on the periphery in newer homes “Sandwiching” the poor

New Urban Model? Poor older suburbs CBD Gentrified inner-city ring: middle/upper class Middle/upper class: Newer homes

Suburbanization of Businesses Retail services moving to suburbs- where customers are Automobiles are necessity to get to services Larger malls situated near beltway Contain specialty store normally found in CBDs Anchor stores (Macy’s) Corner stores in CBDs eliminated Become centers for activity

FIGURE 13-26

Suburbanization of Business Factories Cheaper land- need to be long one-story buildings (factories) Better highway access, no city traffic Offices Execs can drive from home to work w/o traffic Low status workers may not have car to drive to suburbs from inner-city Not a scenic or convenient (lunch) as CBD

Transportation and Suburbanization Problems with congestion (delays, pollution) Evolution of transportation (train-trolley-car) has accelerated suburbanization Trains- only allowed for growth around station Motor Vehicles Policies to keep ownership and usage high ¼ of land dedicated to roads/parking lots Rush hour from cars England’s “congestion charging zone”

Transportation and Suburbanization Public Transit Takes less space/ more people than cars European cities have extensive networks, connecting outer suburbs (RER and TGV) In US Primarily for rush hour commuters Higher value placed on owning vehicle Rapid transit has increased in some larger cities Won’t subsidize as much as Europe