According to Retrofitting Suburbia, we are about to embark on a new territory, one that will take a collision of urban designers, architects, landscape architects, policymakers, and zoning officials. The landscape seems to be everchanging in the twenty-first century, people are moving to the city creating a greater demand for affordable housing, online shopping is impacting traditional brick and mortar stores, and suburbia is fighting to maintain its raison detre. Now is the time to start recreating the suburbs into areas that are sustainable in terms of housing, economics, and the environment. This is the opposite of junkspace, large blocks of land can now become smaller, more walkable blocks. Suburban areas are quickly becoming economic centers that are in need of walkable communities and as Ellen Dunham-Jones says "third places" where people can hang out. My fears are that these unused spaces will fall to the wayside before being redeveloped because they aren't trendy and new, developers might not be interested in taking on certain projects without precedents. How can we as designers prove the worth of reimagining these spaces?
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| Lakewood, CO once a giant mall is now 22 walkable blocks |
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| This development in Massachusetts was once a parking lot |
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