Mikaela says:
LA Times reports the suburbs are back in business. Ever wonder what would come of New "Urbanism"? Remember all those times you heard critiques that New Urbanism was really just another way to reinvigorate White suburbs to include the benefits of urban living without those messy urban problems (like oh, say, living near poor people and people of color)?
Well, guess what? Those critiques seem to have flourished in the hot-house of California living.
THE suburbs, long derided as cultural wastelands, are experiencing a renaissance.What do they mean by culture? You're gonna love this!
They mean high culture: museums, theaters, art galleries, concert halls and restaurants.
And where are the people of color?
Restaurant owners, of course! For that marketable cultural flavor. And as an added bonus, they bring new capital to tap into and drain away!
In addition to a vibrant retail environment and green open spaces, a population with a mix of ages and ethnicities has brought new life to suburbs, urban planners and academics say.
"Immigrants bring culture and restaurants," said Richard Peiser, a professor of real estate development at Harvard University's design school. "They also bring capital from the old country, and multiple generations, which is what any healthy community wants to have."
Don't be fooled. This is still New Urbanism a la Seaside, complete with the all-white, Truman Show cast of perfect Americana:
Unlike the idealized suburb of your parents' generation, the lots are small and close together, and some feature so-called rear-loading garages behind the homes, entered via attractive, landscaped lanes rather than alleys lined with garbage cans.
While the mix of architectural "styles" is lauded, not one word is mentioned about affordable housing or a mix of housing types to support families of different sizes and make-ups. Hmmm. Wonder why?
"Actually, we're bringing back a sense of small-town living," said Ray Young, associate vice president of academic programs and dean of graduate studies at Cal State Fullerton. "We're creating pockets of places for people to gather. People enjoy sitting and conversing with others; they want a sense of community."
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for building more places that work well for the people who live in them. Getting people out of their cars is great. Emphasizing community is great. But this whole emphasis on making better places for white rich people to live? I'm thinking, don't they get enough attention already?
Isn't this a tragic lost opportunity for some emphasis on de-segregation? Think how amazing it would be to have people of different color and class interacting on those nice walking paths and plazas! That's a new form of urbanism I could get behind.
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