American homes are extravagant, having swelled from about 1,500 square feet on average in 1973 to more than 2,400 in 2018. After the pandemic, memory of the novel utility of all that space could justify even more of it. Some companies have already declared their intention to let workers telecommute forever, and real-estate analysts anticipate more companies eliminating or curtailing expensive commercial leases to save money. — The Atlantic
The new article from The Atlantic expands on the premise, "Suburbia was never as bad as anyone said it was. Now it’s looking even better."
The incoming changes to built environment due to COVID-19 pandemic, might well be viewed as going back to suburban communities and escape from the density of packed urban environments, the author argues.
As many companies want to keep "working from home" policies extended, city folks might benefit from lesser traffic and lower property values and rents, as this reporter observes.
14 Comments
Think i'm gonna stop believing these BS urbanist (now suburbanist) narratives
Sprawl, for lack of a better word, is good.
Sprawl is right, sprawl works. Sprawl clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Sprawl, in all of its forms; sprawl for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And sprawl, you mark my words, will not only save the suburbs, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.
Thank you very much!
You're talking the same sprawl that infringes upon natural habitats, displacing animal life, that ends up causing novel diseases? The same sprawl that enables factories in china and elsewhere to also keep growing, to support Walmart, and again results in wildlife entering the food stream?
Of hopefully, you are being sarcastic.
That double height arched entry canopy thing angers me greatly.
This end up?
thanks, now I'm even angrier with it... was not aware that was posible.
Hey, what are friends for? I share that particular disgust with the attenuated arch.
(Deziners: Have an arcuated facade that's two, three, or even four stories? No problem! Just strrrrreeeeettttccch your way to a finished elevation in one easy step.*
* Proportions not included.)
Well there are tasteful modern houses available in the 'burbs. Picturing an ugly McMansion just shows the author's bias. Here is a place on the French Mediterannean coast. Had you rather live here or in NYC?
LOL, couldn't find any local examples? The French Mediterranean coast ≠ Suburbia
Yep, that comparison makes total sense. Would you rather be living in a french villa near the sea and on a vineyard or huddled up under a small tarp held down by two hobos? See, urban bad.
and SPRAWL GOOD!
nyc
I can't think of any reason to ignore the most common typology by several orders of magnitude in favor of an extremely rare but admittedly more pleasing example unless you're trying to pitch an agenda.
Terrible example doc.
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