[lbo-talk] Dispiriting Suburbs?

[chuck at mutualaid.org]

> "according to most recent surveys, that the vast majority of Americans --
> upward of 80% -- still prefer single-family homes over apartments, while
> no
> more than 10% to 15% want to live near the central core.
>
> Unless there is some sort of cultural revolution, most people,
> particularly
> families, are likely to continue migrating to places where they can
> acquire
> a spot of land and a little privacy. And despite the much ballyhooed
> "return
> to the city" by aging boomers, most experts suggest that most are either
> staying in the suburbs or moving to towns farther out in the hinterland.
> At
> least 30% of Americans, according to surveys by the National Association
> of
> Realtors and the Fannie Mae Foundation, express the desire to move to the
> country or a small environment, far more than live there now."

I think the real driving factor for many people is their interest in
having their kids go to "good" public schools. For those who send their
kids to private schools, safety is the next issue. Families with kids
perceive the city as an unsafe place to raise children.

I fucking hate suburbia. The surburbs of Kansas City are what caused me to
become an anarchist and anti-capitalist. That was 25 years ago. The sprawl
in Kansas City has only gotten worse. Last night I drove 15 miles across
the southern edge of the KC/JOCO sprawl, pretty much through an area that
had been mostly rural when I went to hgih school here in 1979-1983. The
new development is so crazy that I started counting the new Walgreen's
stores as I drove. Over 15 miles of new development, I drove past 3
Walgreens, 2 CVSs, four McDonalds, three Targets, and much more.

Chuck