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Suburbs are the future, keynote speaker says
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More from Other NewsThe suburbs are the future. That's where the young, childless 30-somethings are living today, going to concerts and taking the train to work.
That was the message Joel Kotkin gave the crowd gathered Thursday at The Road Ahead 2005 conference, a gathering of civic, government and business leaders who discussed the problems facing Ventura County.
Kotkin, an author on economic and political trends, couldn't have been speaking to a more receptive crowd. Much of the day's conference centered on developing suburbs into livable places with diverse mixes of housing, allowing people to live where they work and shop without getting into a car.
"Suburbs are the future, the present and the past," Kotkin said. "The growth is in the suburbs."
Contrary to being a place where "white flight" once took place, the suburbs are among the most ethnically diverse communities, he said, citing his own home in the diverse San Fernando Valley.
As cities have experienced growth booms and busts, the suburbs continued to grow and expand, he said. During the economic booms, only one city in the country, Charlotte, N.C., expanded its skyline, whereas the suburbs continued to grow, he said.
For people who really love them, suburbs need to be transformed into "sacred spaces," places that have a sense of identity and feel unique.
They need to be self-sufficient, with jobs in the area and amenities within walking distance. He cited the Thousand Arts Civic Arts Plaza as an example of bringing culture to the suburbs.
He referred to one study in which as many as 50 percent of the people in a community said they would take a 20 percent pay cut just to work in the area they lived.
He said mass transit isn't going to change the gridlock on the freeways, that it would always be there.
So work on your suburbs, he said.
Make them unique, independent -- a place people are proud to call home.
"You have a tremendous future ahead of you if you plan it right," he told the group. "Believe in the attractiveness of suburbs ... and at the same time allow for a suburban village and you'll have a really great future."
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