WASHINGTON POST: In her new book, “The End of the Suburbs,” Leigh Gallagher argues that the suburban way of life, once the epitome of the American dream, is becoming increasingly undesirable. Capital Business reporter Jonathan O’Connell, who has questioned whether Washington can grow up with its 20-somethings, chatted with Gallagher this past week about how Americans choose to live. An abridged version of that conversation follows.
O’Connell: Could you start by telling us why you think the suburbs are in decline?
Gallagher: The suburbs were a great idea that worked really well for a long time, but they overshot their mandate. We supersized everything in a way that led many people to live far away from where they needed to be and far away from their neighbors, and that has far-reaching implications, no pun intended. People have turned away from that kind of living. Add in the demographic forces that are reshaping our whole population, and the result is a significant shift. Census data shows that outward growth is slowing and inward growth is speeding up… (more)
EDITOR: Would someone please forward the above to City Planner Randy Patterson and Mayor Rick Gray. They are trying to find a solution for the empty Bulova Building when the entire Lancaster Square East site (which includes Bulova, the moribund Brunswick and its Annex) is ideal for an upscale residential condominium community. Message to Patterson: Before you can lead, you have to know where you are going.
“They are trying to find a solution for the empty Bulova Building when the entire Lancaster Square East site (which includes Bulova, the moribund Brunswick and its Annex) is ideal for an upscale residential condominium community.”
I would hope that’s true, however, if the site is so ideal then why is the city not being bombarded with developers looking to take on the project. It seems to me that many, if not most, of the projects moving forward are tax-subsidized housing.
EDITOR: Correct. Otherwise there would be no role for the City to play.
It’s Randy Patterson’s job to line up funds to acquire the buildings to be razed. Then the ground can be sold to a developer. But first he has to know what he needs to be done. Chasing after a purchaser for just the Bulova Building is counter productive and a major blunder.