Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Reburbia: A Suburban Design Competition

Smart Growth Resource Library: Reburbia: A Suburban Design Competition

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Dwell Magazine and Inhabitat.com have announced finalists of the first-ever Reburbia competition: a design competition dedicated to re-envisioning the suburbs. The public is invited to vote online for their top choices August 10-17, 2009.

With the current housing crisis, the sub-prime mortgage meltdown, and rising energy costs, the future of suburbia looks bleak. Suburban communities in central California, Arizona and Florida are desolate and decaying, with for sale and foreclosure signs dotting many lawns. According to the U.S. Census, about 90% of all metropolitan growth occurred in suburban communities in the last ten years. Urbanites who loathe the freeways, big box stores and bland aesthetics stereotypical of suburbia may secretly root for the end of sprawl, but demographic trends indicate that exurban growth is still on the rise.

In a future where limited natural resources will force us to find better solutions for density and efficiency, what will become of the cul-de-sacs, cookie-cutter tract houses and generic strip malls that have long upheld the diffuse infrastructure of suburbia? How can we redirect these existing spaces to promote sustainability, walkability, and community?

Read more at the resource link below.

Resource: http://www.re-burbia.com/

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