You get the impression that Joel Kotkin exists mainly to torment the whole urban design intelligentsia. He dismisses as "wishful thinking" its belief that the current economic crisis will set off big changes in the American lifestyle, specifically the retrofitting of communities to make them dramatically more efficient, compact, walkable and less auto-dependent in the years ahead.
In his new book, "The
Next Hundred Million: America in 2050," Kotkin agrees with most
everyone that the U.S. will experience major population growth in the
coming decades. But he expects growth to occur almost entirely on the
perimeter of sprawling, low-cost metro areas like Houston and Phoenix,
and not so much in the superstar urban enclaves celebrated by the
planning elite. Cars, not mass transit, will continue to be the
conveyance of choice for nearly everyone, he says, despite concerns
about energy independence and the environment.
To read the full, original article click on this link: MinnPost - Cityscape: Joel Kotkin: Reports of suburbia's death have been greatly exaggerated
Author: minnpost.com
