Suburban Nation

The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of

the American Dream
Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Jeff Speck

Presented by: Ben Barnes, Jessa Harger, Nathan Jones

 Suburban Sprawl
• The Components of Sprawl

• The Effects of Sprawl

• Ways to Combat Sprawl

 5 Components of Sprawl
• Housing Subdivisions

• Shopping Malls

• Office Parks

• Civic Institutions

• Roadways
 What is Distinct about
Traditional Neighborhoods
• Neighborhood • Narrow Streets
Center • Mixed Use
• 5 minute Walk Zoning
• Special Sites
• Street Network for Special
Buildings
 Congested Traffic
• Collector Roads
• Single Use Zoning
• Useless Open Spaces
• Cul-de-sacs
• Interesting Intersections
 The American Dream

• Segregation by Income
• Gated Communities
• Lack of mix of housing types
• Lack of Fronts and Backs
• 2 Illegal types of • 2 Forgotten Rules
Affordable of Affordable
Housing Housing
– Living above the – Don’t Experiment
on the Poor
Store
– Limit the
– Granny Flats Concentration of
Housing Projects
 Physical Creation Of
Society
• Communal Space
• Time for Community
• Pedestrian Life
– Wide Streets
– Speed
• Wastefulness
• Crime
Transportation Mess
 Suburban Sprawl
• The Components of Sprawl

• The Effects of Sprawl

• Ways to Combat Sprawl

 Sprawl and the Developer
• Influence of Market Experts

• Traditional vs. Conventional Design

• Struggles with the Homebuilders

 Victims of Sprawl
• Cul-De-Sac Kids and Bored Teenagers
• Soccer Moms
• Weary commuters
• Bankrupt Municipalities
• The Immobile Poor
 The City and the Region
• “…we shall solve the city problem by
leaving the city.” Henry Ford 1922 (p.135)

• Good Suburbs
• Suburbs that Help Cities
• Eight Steps to Regional Planning
 Eight Steps to Regional
Planning
• Admit Growth will occur
• Establish a permanent Countryside Preserve
• Establish a temporary Countryside Reserve
• Designate the corridors
• Establish Priority Development Sectors
• Establish a proactive permitting process
• Designate all other types of development as
districts
 The Inner City
• The Amenity Package
• Civic Decorum
• Physical Health
• Retail Management
• Marketing
• Investment Security
DESIGN YOUR
OWN CITY
 Constrictions
• A highway 2 miles • Within growth ring of
west of proposed site a medium sized city
• A river cutting through
site in the south-
eastern corner
• Densely forested area
on the river bank
 You Will Need:
• 500 homes • Community Centers
• Schools • City Services
• Public Transit
• Business District
• Retail Shops • Remember the
• Civic Buildings importance of
COMMUNITY!
 Suburban Sprawl
• The Components of Sprawl

• The Effects of Sprawl

• Ways to Combat Sprawl

 Ways to Combat Sprawl
• At the Local Level
• At the State Level
• At the Federal Level
 At the Local Level
• Importance of Community on Political
Agenda
• Change Current Regulations
• Become Pro-Active
• Think Globally, Act Locally, Plan
Regionally
• Practice What you Preach
 Change Current Regulations

• Encourage Public Transit

• Walkable Neighborhoods
• Maintain Natural Areas
• Mix of houses, shops, workplace, recreation areas
• Sidewalks
• Narrow Streets
• Parking
• Public Playgrounds
 At the State Level
• Transportation
– Department of Transportation
– Public Transportation
• Affordable Housing
 At the Federal Level
• Taxes
– Gasoline tax towards public transportation
– Tax policies changed to encourage renovation
as much as construction
• Schools
– Balanced resources for schools