↗URBN 1000: Introduction to CitiesPart 2: U.S. Cities: Historical and Modern PerspectivesClass Outline: ➢ Suburbs: History and Myths➢ Malls➢ Types of suburbs:➢ Sprawl➢ Exurbs➢ Gated Communities➢ Edge CitiesIntro to suburban studies↗ Today, 55% of Americans are suburban (majority since 1970)↗ In the 51 largest metro areas (>1,000,000), 70% of residents are suburban↗ Since 2010, suburbs are now home to the largest and fastest-growing poor population in the U.S., not the inner-city↗ “While suburbs continue to dramatically change, both for good and bad, many of our images of suburbia remain set in the myths of the past”↗ Suburbs, like cities, go through cycles of growth and decline↗ But, for whatever reason, we have a one-dimensional understanding of suburbiaDiversity and Suburbs↗ Today, suburbs no longer fit the 1950s definition of “white, middle-class, two car garage, wife homemaker” definition↗ Racial, class, ethnic, and religious diversity has dramatically increased in the suburbs, while whites are now moving back into the city, reversing decades of “white flight” trends↗ On avergage, suburbs are now 35% racial minorities↗ 78% of whites in the 100 largest metro areas live in suburbs↗ 51% of blacks “…” ↗ 59% of Hispanics “…”↗ 62% of Asians “…”“Myth of Suburbia”↗ In 2015, “our image of the suburbs has not caught up with reality…and suburban myths of the 1950s refuse to die”↗ No longer just your Jefferson Parish suburbs. Today we have…↗ Affluent commuter suburbs↗ Working-class suburbs↗ Condominium suburbs↗ Industrial-park suburbs↗ But, Old Metairie has always, still is, and most-likely always will be a suburb reserved for the upper-class↗ Wealthy suburbs appear to be the exception to the rule of the “cycles of growth and decline of cities and suburbs”Suburbs: Historical Eras↗ All eras of suburbia were not possible without advances in transportation↗ Era 1: The 1800s emergence of suburbs due to railroads↗ Era 2: Electric Streetcar Era: 1890-1920↗ Era 3: Automobile Suburbs and WWII: 1920-1950↗ Era 4: Post WWII Mass Suburbanization: 1950-1990↗ Era 5: Metropolitan and Suburban Sprawl: 1990-20151800s suburbs↗ Pre-Civil War: upper-class lived downtown↗ Peripheries of cities were viewed as “poor shantytowns” for the lower classes and marginal of society↗ Oxford English Dictionary 1800s definition of suburb: “a place of inferior, debased, and especially licentious habits of life”↗ London: prostitution houses moved to suburbs; “whores labelled suburban sinners” and it was an insult to be called “suburbanite”↗ Post Civil War-1880: Suburbs reserved for the upper-class elites ↗ expensive railroad commuter suburbs that provided an idealized rural refuge from the chaos of the city↗ Class segregation b/w city and suburb1800s suburbs: Roxbury, BostonElectric Streetcar Era: 1890-1920↗ Reserved for the upper-class, but first waves of middle-class also began to move outward from the chaotic city↗ Garden District, NOLA: originally laid out in 1832 for wealthy Americans who wanted socio-spatial separation from French residents of the Quarter, Treme, and Marigny↗ 2nd source of suburban addition: annexation↗ Carrollton, New Orleans: annexed to NOLA, 1874↗ St.Charles Avenue, New Orleans: oldest continuously operating streetcar network in the world↗ September 1835 opening: steam-locomotives and horse cars↗ February 1893: electric streetcars1904 Streetcar map New OrleansGarden District, New OrleansAutomobile Suburbs: 1920-1950↗ Car registrations jumped from 2.5 million in 1915 to 26.5 million in 1930↗ Henry Ford’s mass produced Model T car made the automobile available to the middle class↗ Made fringe land ripe for development—no longer restricted by either railroads or streetcars to move outward↗ Segregation by income, occupation, religion, and ethnicity↗ Majority of suburbs pre WWII were not grand estates but rather were modest bungalows:↗ Lakeview and Gentilly TerraceGentilly Terrace, New OrleansLakeview, New Orleans: craft bungalowsMass Suburbanization: 1950-1990↗ Levvittowns: 720 sqft house↗ $6,900 ($10 down payment)MetairieWest BankMass Produced Suburbia↗ Metairie, Kenner, Westbank↗ Single-story houses with garage: separated residential from commercial land-use↗ Baby Boomers: born b/w 1946 and 1964; 76,000,000 children↗ Reserved for middle-class whites fleeing the city: “white flight”↗ Guaranteed mortgages and loans to white middle class, only↗ Federal government subsidized suburban development↗ Ranch-style housing, 1000-2000/sq feet↗ Rise of Catholic schools and private/parochial eduction↗ >80% opened post-1960 in NOLA metro areaLevvittown, USALevvittownLevvittownLevvittownThe American Dream“Malling of America”↗ The American shopping mall became hugely popular, starting in the late 1950s and continuing well into the 1980s↗ From Canal Street to Lakeside, Oakwood, and Esplanade Malls↗ Today: 50,000 shopping malls↗ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3_3OkxIoiE↗ http://video.anyclip.com/movies/fast-times-at-ridgemont-high/opening-credits/↗ Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota:↗ 4.2 million sq ft↗ 520 stores, 14 movie screens, 46 eateries, 7 acre indoor amusement park, roller coaster, aquarium, world’s largest shark collection, its own zip code, police, doctors, and a public school for its 12,000 employeesLakeside Mall, Metairie, 1960Suburban MallsCanal Street, NOLA, 1976Shopping, Downtown NOLADead MallsDead MallsLake Forest Mall, New Orleans EastDead MallsDead MallsSuburbiaSuburban supermarkets: Schwegmann’s New OrleansBaby BoomersSuburbiaSuburbia↗ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT_A9PFOY18↗ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSLC0JsDpV8 ↗ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMqwSTe5rvo↗ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WJUVPoCP78Sprawl: 1990s to today↗ Sprawl: spread-out, low-density residential development beyond the edge of services and employment↗ Separates people from where they live from where they work, shop, and it relies heavily on automobiles↗ Inefficient and wasteful of natural resources↗ “vast, homogenous panorama”↗ Represents the “ideal lifestyle”—the “American Dream”↗ Urban economics: cheap land in the outskirtsPhoenix, ArizonaAtlanta, GeorgiaConsequences of sprawl↗ Increased dependence on cars: no longer walkable; higher fuel costs