Suburbia's cross-section
"...developments conceived in error, nurtured by greed, corroding everything they touch. They destroy established cities and trade patterns, pose dangerous problems for the areas they invade, and actually drive mad myriads of housewives shut up in them." - Keats
John Keats has a critical outlook on suburbia. While I do agree with what he is saying (and appreciate the comedy), I do think that we need to acknowledge that we created this problem and we need to fix it. It is undeniable that suburbs have changed the way people commute and socialize. We are now a car-dependent society - how can we spin this into something good?
The Retrofitting Suburbia article makes reference to retrofit strip malls but I think we can do better.
Rather than putting in colloquial stores into outdated malls, what else could we do to change the function? Could they turn into shelters? Low-rent offices for start-ups? Greenhouses?
I think the important thing to consider is the difference between a community and a development.
John Keats has a critical outlook on suburbia. While I do agree with what he is saying (and appreciate the comedy), I do think that we need to acknowledge that we created this problem and we need to fix it. It is undeniable that suburbs have changed the way people commute and socialize. We are now a car-dependent society - how can we spin this into something good?
The Retrofitting Suburbia article makes reference to retrofit strip malls but I think we can do better.
Rather than putting in colloquial stores into outdated malls, what else could we do to change the function? Could they turn into shelters? Low-rent offices for start-ups? Greenhouses?
I think the important thing to consider is the difference between a community and a development.
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| How can we turn this... |
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| ...into this? |
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