Shot in the Arm

In this week’s readings and discussion, we focus on the sprawl of the American suburbs. Ever since starting my architecture career, years ago, sprawl has been the evil word we have to counteract. Sprawl was always described and projected as the cancer on the American society and way of living. It wasn’t until Tuesday’s class where I realized where I realized sprawl failed us and what was the benefits of sprawl. 

Since being a kid, we have giving thought of the open road, wide vast spaces to developed one’s lively hood, and the idea we should live in the house with a white fence in the front yard. I realize and acknowledge that this is where sprawl was born. In an effort to create one’s space, we had to distance ourselves from each other. 

I am in the process of doing this myself as I am closing on my new house in Spartanburg. So I have become an increasing problem for sprawl. Now, I am purchasing an already constructed house in an older neighborhood but it is car dependent with no walkable / bike paths. But I have reduced what I wanted / thought would be a 30-minute commute into a 10-minute commute to work. The pros outweigh cons of the location. But I can understand and acknowledge the notion to live in a denser setting.

In the article “Retro-fitting Suburbria” the authors Ellen Dunham-Jones and June Williamson share many different examples of urban redevelopments from former big box stores or greyfield sites. From personal experience, my hometown of Anderson, SC had one such example of this type of redevelopment not too long ago. The city had an old Kroger Grocery Store that was in the downtown center. The store had sat unused during my entire lifetime. The site was purchased by the city for pennies on the dollar and the city redeveloped the city into the County Courthouse annex where the residences of Anderson County pays on taxes, deeds, and other county functions. I personally believe this time of infill development is important for growth. It didn’t/doesn’t require new infrastructure to build and make the area feel safer as old / unused buildings are developed. 

Sprawl is still a notion we need to counteract but I can fully understand how it became so out of hand and a problem for all.