The Option of Urbanism : Investing in a New American Dream

Americans are voting with their feet to abandon strip malls and suburban sprawl, embracing instead a new type of community where they can live, work, shop, and play within easy walking distance. In The Option of Urbanism visionary developer and strategist Christopher B. Leinberger explains why government policies have tilted the playing field toward one form of development over the last sixty years: the drivable suburb. Rooted in the driving forces of the economy—car manufacturing and the oil industry—this type of growth has fostered the decline of community, contributed to urban decay, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and contributed to the rise in obesity and asthma. Highlighting both the challenges and the opportunities for this type of development, The Option of Urbanism shows how the American Dream is shifting to include cities as well as suburbs and how the financial and real estate communities need to respond to build communities that are more environmentally, socially, and financially sustainable. "Americans are voting with their feet to abandon strip malls and suburban sprawl, and embrace instead a new type of community where they can live, work, shop, and play within easy walking distance. In The Option of Urbanism visionary developer and strategist Christopher B. Leinberger explains how government has favored one form of development over the last sixty years: the drivable suburb. Rooted in the driving forces of the economy - car manufacturing and the oil industry - this development has fostered the decline of community, contributed to urban decay, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and contributed to the rise in obesity and asthma." "Highlighting both the challenges and the opportunities for this type of development, The Option of Urbanism shows how the American Dream is shifting to include cities as well as suburbs and how the financial and real estate communities need to respond to build communities that are more environmentally, socially, and financially sustainable."--Jacket Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Table of Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 Ch. 1: Futurama and the 20th-Century American Dream......Page 25 Ch. 2: The Rise of Drivable Sub-urbia......Page 44 Ch. 3: The Standard Real Estate Product Types: Why Every Place Looks Like Every Place Else......Page 58 Ch. 4: Consequences of Drivable Sub-urban Growth......Page 76 Ch. 5: The Market Rediscovers Walkable Urbanism......Page 99 Ch. 6: Defining Walkable Urbanism: Why More Is Better......Page 126 Ch. 7: Unintended Consequences of Walkable Urbanism......Page 151 Ch. 8: Achieving the Next American Dream: Leveling the Playing Field and Implementing Walkable Urbanism......Page 163 Notes......Page 190 Index......Page 214 Americans are voting with their feet to abandon strip malls and suburban sprawl, embracing instead a new type of community where they can live, work, shop, and play within easy walking distance. This work explains why government policies have tilted the playing field toward one form of development: the drivable suburb. Americans are voting with their feet to abandon strip malls and suburban sprawl, embracing instead a new type of community where they can live, work, shop, and play within easy walking distance. This work explains why government policies have tilted the playing field toward one form of development: the drivable suburb

Highlighting both the challenges and the opportunities for urban development, The Option of Urbanism shows how the American Dream is shifting to include cities as well as suburbs and how the financial and real estate communities need to respond to build communities that are more environmentally, socially, and financially sustainable.

Planetizen

From Planetizen''s Top 10 Books List, 2008. The new American Dream presented in this quick and easy read is one similar to the American Dream of the past: a slower-paced and neighborhood-centric lifestyle.