In This Article
Subscribe to National Updates
Rising Oil Prices May End Suburban Way of Life
April 30, 2008 07:00 AM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Low gasoline prices and modern freeways gave rise to American suburbia, but as oil tops $120 per barrel some experts say suburbs could become ghost towns.
30-Second Summary
As prices rise at the gas pump, some urban policy experts predict a “painful shift” for America away from its beloved car-powered suburban culture of shopping malls, subdivisions and box retailers.
Urban-centered sprawl is “the greatest misallocation of resources the world has ever known,” says author James Howard Kunstler.
As part of a trend some call “slumurbia,” the outer-ring suburbs of American cities—often called “exurbs”—will see an exodus of educated, higher-income earners, says Brookings Institution fellow Christopher Leinberger. “The knowledge workers can’t afford the time cost, and they can’t afford the commuting time,” he says.
Indeed, some suburban residents literally can’t afford their commutes, now that gasoline is flirting with the $4-per-gallon mark. Deborah Hill told Philadelphia CBS affiliate KYW that she can barely afford to get to her job, saying “commuting is the worst thing.”
Proposed solutions vary. Writer Joel Kotkin argues that telecommuting will keep exurbs vibrant. He also says such towns, with numerous business centers instead of a defined downtown, are more “democratic” because people of many socioeconomic levels can afford to live in them.
Meanwhile, Atlantic Monthly’s Matthew Iglesias calls for an end to gas subsidies and better high-density housing options in order to wean America off its cars. “The cost of driving should be priced more appropriately,” he says, “and people will respond to that.”
Urban-centered sprawl is “the greatest misallocation of resources the world has ever known,” says author James Howard Kunstler.
As part of a trend some call “slumurbia,” the outer-ring suburbs of American cities—often called “exurbs”—will see an exodus of educated, higher-income earners, says Brookings Institution fellow Christopher Leinberger. “The knowledge workers can’t afford the time cost, and they can’t afford the commuting time,” he says.
Indeed, some suburban residents literally can’t afford their commutes, now that gasoline is flirting with the $4-per-gallon mark. Deborah Hill told Philadelphia CBS affiliate KYW that she can barely afford to get to her job, saying “commuting is the worst thing.”
Proposed solutions vary. Writer Joel Kotkin argues that telecommuting will keep exurbs vibrant. He also says such towns, with numerous business centers instead of a defined downtown, are more “democratic” because people of many socioeconomic levels can afford to live in them.
Meanwhile, Atlantic Monthly’s Matthew Iglesias calls for an end to gas subsidies and better high-density housing options in order to wean America off its cars. “The cost of driving should be priced more appropriately,” he says, “and people will respond to that.”
Headline Link: ‘Good-Bye, Cheap Oil. So Long, Suburbia?’
James Howard Kunstler’s book “The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America’s Man-Made Landscape,” is the jumping-off point for Business Week’s analysis of how rising gas prices will affect suburban life. Kunstler tells the magazine, “Our gigantic metroplex cities will prove to be inconsistent with the energy diet of our future. I think our smaller cities and towns will be reactivated.”
Source: Business Week
Videos: ‘End of Suburbia’ and rising gas prices
This YouTube video trailer from the groundbreaking 2004 documentary ‘End of Suburbia’ contrasts cheerful ads from the 1950s with the harsh oil-supply realities of today. The documentary argues that society has reached a “World Oil Peak” as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply and predicts the demise of suburban consumerism. Kunstler appears in the film, saying that America is “stuck up a cul-de-sac in a cement SUV without a fill-up.”
Source: End of Suburbia
After gas prices rose by 6 percent in the Philadelphia area in one weekend, local electrician Michael Brearey tells Philadelphia CBS affiliate KYW that he has had to cut costs from his budget. “I don’t go out anymore … I hardly travel. It just costs too much money to go anywhere.” Deborah Hill can barely afford to get to her job at the airport. “Commuting is the worst thing.”
Source: Philadelphia CBS affiliate KYW
Opinion & Analysis: The social costs of suburbia
Christopher Leinberger, a former home developer and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institute, says that fringe suburbs have a glut of real estate overdevelopment. But outer-ring suburbs, often located far from public transport and commercial centers, are not accesible to lower-income earners. John Norquist, former Milwaukee mayor and president of the Congress for a New Urbanism, favors housing developments that incorporate shopping within walking distance, however. “Thirty percent of the housing stock that will exist in 2030 hasn’t been built yet. Developers who are creating walkable neighborhoods are doing very well.”
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
The Atlantic @ Aspen, a blog hosted by magazine Atlantic Monthly, cites writer Joel Kotkin: “We aren’t creating more New Yorks and Chicagos; we’re creating more Los Angeleses.” Cities like New York with “unipolar downtowns” will not be the wave of the future, but rather as telecommuting takes off, exurbs will grow in appeal.
Source: Atlantic Monthly
Matthew Iglesias responds to the Kotkin-inspired piece in another Atlantic Monthly blog, saying that the growing expense of living in low-density areas leads him to “believe that the ‘traditional unipolar downtown’ could make a comeback.” Iglesias explains that his fellow urbanists want the government to stop subsidizing individual passenger vehicles as the main form of transportation, and promote high-density residential zoning to lessen carbon emissions.
Source: Atlantic Monthly
Writer Michael Klare is dour about what $100-plus barrel oil means to the average American in the long term: “A diminished quality of life, as discretionary expenses disappear in the face of higher costs for transportation, home heating, and electricity, not to speak of basics like food (for which, from fertilizers to packaging, oil is a necessity).”
Source: Tomdispatch.org
Reference: Fuel economy; oil prices and suburbia
The U.S. government provides an online guide to specific fuel economy tips under four broad headlines: “Drive more efficiently,” “Keep your car in shape,” “Plan and combining trips,” and “Choose a more efficient vehicle.” According to the site, fixing a serious maintenance issue, like a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve gas mileage by 40 percent.
Source: FuelEconomy.gov
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Web site includes energy saving tips, statistics and recent energy news.
Source: Department of Energy
James Howard Kunstler examines the reasons behind suburban sprawl in his book “The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America’s Man-Made Landscape.” The book is available from the Dulcinea Media Store.
Source: Dulcinea Media Store
Related Topics: ‘With Oil Running Out, Learn to Conserve Now’
Many experts believe that the supply of oil, America’s primary source of energy, is leveling off and may soon drop permanently. Americans must begin to conserve now to avert a drastic shortfall. FindingDulcinea lists 10 practical ways to do so.
Source: findingDulcinea
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
