Originally Posted by
alloo
People want to live in cities. More people live in cities than the suburb. Freeway commuting forces you to buy a car. You're essentially stuck in a cage for hours. More freeways results in more congestion. Your cage forces you to be stuck in a financial cage. Your money goes to fuel, tune ups, tires, brakes, insurance and a car payment. Your cage separates you from nature and other people. Living in the suburbs cause you to be obese and less healthy because you drive everywhere. Look at the US from 1970 - the present, we have gotten fatter and more unhealthy. When you can't or won't bike or walk anywhere, you have to join a fitness club instead of living a healthy lifestyle.
Originally Posted by
Mobile 155
I believe you will find that a political belief not a statistical truth. Many urban centers are called metropolitan to try and increase their tax base. In reality the Suburbs dominate the area. I am not a big fan of city lab but they are pretty open minded to the reality of where people live. I don't believe when this is over it will get better for urban living without some major changes in density standards. For your reading enjoyment and consideration.
https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/11...burban/575602/
It's an interesting paradox that I have commented on before. Real estate prices are way higher in the city (in many cases), suggesting as alloo says, that more people want to live in the city, yet we build more suburbs than "'urbs". You'd think the marketplace would respond to the demand by building more urban style development, and yet it doesn't or at least not enough. I believe there are market-distorting factors at work such that a lot of Americans aren't actually getting what they want.
One of those factors of course is zoning. People in the inner suburbs strongly resist urbanization taking over their neighbourhoods with low rise (or high rise) infill development. So the "urban centre" can't expand, and there just isn't enough of it for all the people who want it, causing prices to go ever higher