Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

Will Urban Revitalization Leave Some Cities Behind?

11:22 AM EST on December 19, 2011

Chris Leinberger's op-ed about the decline of the outer suburbs a few weeks ago in the New York Times has been widely praised and scrutinized in the blogosphere. A few of us remarked that the decline of the outer suburbs and the rise of the central city doesn't seem to be a uniform trend across the United States. Cities like Louisville, Kentucky and Cleveland, Ohio flip the whole dynamic, to some extent.

Network blogger Rob Pitingolo at Extraordinary Observations says he agrees with the basic theory that urban areas hold a special appeal for the younger generation. But he thinks the trend is more complicated than Leinberger suggested:

At one point, the suburbs looked so much "nicer" because that's where the building was - that's where stuff was brand new. That's not necessarily true anymore. Now, some of the newest, shiniest stuff is right in the heart of the city.

In high-cost cities, like DC... a $200,000 rowhouse rehab might be well worth the cost when you can turn around and sell the house for half a million or more. A similar job simply doesn't make any financial sense in a city like Cleveland. In fact, the Plain Dealer article specifically says that developers aren't building in downtown Cleveland without government incentives because the rents are too low to support the kind of investment they need to make.

I think the more realistic assessment of suburbs and cities is that some suburbs will see a precipitous decline, some urban neighborhoods will experience a renaissance, and the degree to which each happens will be highly dependent on local market conditions. In other words, it will happen, but it won't be as clear cut as the magazine articles might lead you to believe.

Elsewhere on the Network today: The Transport Politic writes a eulogy for another Detroit transit project. After a particularly gruesome example, Stop and Move wonders why the media never follow up on hit-and-run deaths of pedestrians or cyclists. And Fort Worthology announces that shared bus/bike lanes are coming to its namesake city.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Talking Headways Podcast: Beyond Greenways

This week we’re joined by Bob Searns to talk about his new book and grand ideas for walking trails that circle whole regions and more local routes that make up a new mode of green infrastructure in cities.

September 28, 2023

Thursday’s Headlines Are Inside Out

Cars and trucks are getting safer for drivers and passengers, but people outside the vehicles are increasingly in danger.

September 28, 2023

New Federal Committee Will Push for Transportation Equity By Helping DOT Reckon With Its Past

“No one alive today is necessarily responsible for the origins of the [transportation] inequities that we inherited. But everybody who was alive today and in a position of responsibility, is accountable for what we do about it. That's why we're here.” 

September 28, 2023

Report: America’s Historic Bike Boom is Flatlining

"This growth won't continue forever without being facilitated by more infrastructure investment, [and particularly] safety infrastructure."

September 28, 2023

SF Advocates Explore How Enhancing Disability Access on Transit Helps for Everyone

BART was the first accessible transit system in the country. Advocates want Bay Area transit agencies to do better at keeping buses and trains accessible for all.

September 27, 2023
See all posts