1. Urban Patterns

2. Suburban Challenges

3. Defining Urban Areas “urban areas” “the city”
municipality = political entity
common govt, services, laws
annexation
Adding areas to a political entity
“urban areas”
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)
Area of influence
city plus suburbs
Chicago pop. = 2.7 million
3.6 million (1950)
“Chicagoland” = 9.5 million
5.5 million (1950)
LDCs differentiation between “the city” and the “metro area” is unclear

4. Local government fragmentation
Existence of multiple layers of local govt.
City
Township
County
Special districts
Health
Library
Parks/nature
Public safety
Water/sanitary
Other
Illinois has most govt. units of any state ≈ 7,000
Cons
Duplicative/costly
No economies of scale
Inequitable spending
Per pupil educ. $
Zoning
Easy zoning
Urban sprawl
Strict zoning
Can exclude groups
Pros
More local control and decision-making

5. Intraregional migration in the United States
Migration from “city” to suburban areas
“suburbanization”
accelerated post-WWII
biggest migration flow in the U.S.

6. Density Gradient

7. Density Gradient

9. Intraregional Migration in the United States

10. Suburbanization (review)
Push Factors
urban decay
see inner city problems
the “other” (racism)
new immigrants
Mexicans, Asians, Puerto Ricans, Appalachians
African-Americans
blockbusting
school desegregation

11. Push Factors

14. Suburbanization (summarized)
Push Factors
Pull factors
urban decay
the “other” (racism)
new immigrants
Mexicans, Asians, Puerto Ricans, Appalachians
African-Americans
blockbusting
school desegregation
government policies

15. Government Policies encourage suburbanization
accelerated post-WWII = encouraged by government = mortgage tax deduction
favors homeownership over renting
returning veterans
housing shortage = govt. programs
FHA = lower down payment, longer mortgages
GI Bill = low interest loans, education costs covered
benefits mostly whites….minorities excluded (redlining)

16. Suburbanization (continued)
Push Factors
Pull factors
urban decay
the “other” (racism)
new immigrants
Mexicans, Asians, Puerto Ricans, Appalachians
African-Americans
blockbusting
school desegregation
government policies
automobiles

17. Americans love their cars!
becomes a “necessity”
Government builds highways (1950s/Pres. Eisenhower)
Allows people to relocate farther from work/CBD
Driveways, garages
Shopping malls surrounded by huge parking lots
strip malls, drive thrus
American culture and urban morphology, functional zonation becomes shaped by the automobile!

18. Levittown, NY = 1st prefab suburb

19. Peripheral/Galactic Model (1997)
Harris adds ring highway to multiple nuclei model
newer idea, car dependent, urban sprawl
decentralization of the CBD
Industrial shift out of city (based on Detroit)
development along ring highway (the “periphery”)
Edge cities surrounding the central city
more jobs than bedrooms, clustering of services, retail that rivals/competes with CBD (Schaumburg, Rosemont, Oakbrook, Deerfield/Northbrook)
Now some edge cities have many “urban” problems
Low paying industrial jobs = higher poverty, lower performing schools, crime (although lower than the 1990s, gangs, new immigrants, pollution)
see Aurora

20. Edge Cities

21. Edge Cities

22. Suburbanization (continued)
Push Factors
Pull factors
urban decay
the “other” (racism)
new immigrants
Mexicans, Asians, Puerto Ricans, Appalachians
African-Americans
blockbusting
school desegregation
government policies
automobiles
baby boom (1946 – 1964)
demographic bulge
high birthrates
space needed for kids

23. Baby Boom

24. Suburbanization (continued)
Push Factors
Pull factors
urban decay
the “other” (racism)
new immigrants
Mexicans, Asians, Puerto Ricans, Appalachians
African-Americans
blockbusting
school desegregation
government policies
automobiles
baby boom (1946 – 1964)
suburban lifestyle
space (yards, parks, green)
good schools
low taxes
low crime
“American dream”
or is it “homogeneity”?

25. Pull Factors

26. Pull Factors

28. Urban Realms Postmodern Model
James E. Vance (1964)
Flusty and Dear (1998)
Growth of suburbs
New transportation corridors
Suburbs now more independent of CBD
Suburban/regional centers develop that are unique and completely independent
Edge cities do all that CBD does
sometimes with unique focus
Los Angeles
CBD = finance, law
Hollywood = entertainment
Rodeo Drive = retail
Long Beach = port
Santa Monica, Venice = beach communities

30. Urban Realms of Los Angeles

31. Urban Realms of Los Angeles

32. Urban Realms of Los Angeles

33. Suburbs Face Distinctive Challenges?
Dependence on the automobile
Lack of public transit
Advantages of public transit (makes city living attractive)
Cheaper, less polluting, and more energy efficient than an automobile
Reduces congestion
Suited to rapidly transport large number of people to small area
Urban Sprawl
Development competes for prime agricultural land
Enormous carbon footprint
Attempts to limit urban sprawl = “smart growth”

34. Urban Sprawl

35. Urban Sprawl

36. Urban Sprawl

38. Urban Sprawl vs. Smart Growth (Greenbelts = Smart Growth)

39. Suburbs Face Distinctive Challenges?
Dependence on the automobile
Tremendous infrastructure required (highways, roads, etc)
Traffic/congestion, road rage
Lack of public transit
Advantages of public transit (makes city living attractive)
Cheaper, less polluting, and more energy efficient than an automobile
Reduces congestion
Suited to rapidly transport large number of people to small area
Urban Sprawl
Development competes for prime agricultural land
Enormous carbon footprint
Attempts to limit urban sprawl = “smart growth”
Placelessness (uniform landscape)

40. Suburban “placelessness”

41. Suburbs Face Distinctive Challenges?
Dependence on the automobile
Tremendous infrastructure required (highways, roads, etc)
Traffic/congestion, road rage
Lack of public transit
Advantages of public transit (makes city living attractive)
Cheaper, less polluting, and more energy efficient than an automobile
Reduces congestion
Suited to rapidly transport large number of people to small area
Urban Sprawl
Development competes for prime agricultural land
Enormous carbon footprint
Attempts to limit urban sprawl = “smart growth”
Placelessness (uniform landscape)
Growing poverty
Industry brings industrial problems to suburbs
Great inversion???
Read this: ttp://
Outskirts/Suburbs = industrial poor, Central city = wealthy

42. A Possible Solution? “New Urbanism”
“suburban” areas that reflect urban walkability
Higher density housing, anti-auto, walkable
Incorporates mixed-use zoning
Businesses, residential clustered together
More diverse, connected and “enjoyable” communities
Reduces urban sprawl and carbon footprint of suburbia
Mass transit (commuter trains) link CBD with denser suburban living
See American Makeover episodes (link posted on website)

43. New Urbanism