Exurb
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The expression "exurb" (for "extra-urban") was coined in the 1950s, by Auguste Comte Spectorsky in his book "The Exurbanites", to describe the ring of prosperous
Exurbs are not unique to the United States. They are also found in other land-rich developed countries, notably Canada. Reasons for exurb growth vary. In the 1970s, rampant crime and urban decay in U.S. cities was the primary 'push force', whereas exurb growth has continued in the 2000s even as most U.S. cities experience plummeting crime and urban revitalization. However, house prices have skyrocketed, so middle-class people who want a large yard or farm are pushed beyond suburban counties.
Exurbs vary in wealth and education level. Exurb areas typically have lower college education levels than closer in suburbs, but still have average incomes much higher than nearby rural counties. Depending on local circumstances, some exurbs (like those in the
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[edit] Then and now
Commuters from early exurbs, such as the end of
Today's exurbs are comprised of small neighborhoods in otherwise bucolic areas, towns, and (comparatively) small cities. Some lie in the outer suburbs of an urbanized area, but a few miles of rural, wooded, or agricultural land separates many exurbs from the suburbs. Exurbs that originated independently of the major city to which many residents commute may feature some cultural institutions or universities of their own. Others, by contrast, consist almost exclusively of commuters and lack the historical and cultural traditions of more established cities.
Although not on the list of exurbs below, some communities that lie outside the city proper of a metropolitan area could also be considered exurbs, whereas those inside are often known as suburbs. Many suburbs within the metropolitan city proper enjoyed their greatest growth in the post World War II period and slowed down subsequently; extensive development is now (since the 1990s) occurring outside of metro. There have also been significant growth differences between inside and outside metro boundaries; many developments typical of exurbs such as big box retailers lie just on the outside. This could be due to suburbs being constrained by pro-urban inner-city politics while communities outside have far fewer restrictions on development.
[edit] Planning
Many environmentalists, architects, and
"They begin as embryonic subdivisions of a few hundred homes at the far edge of beyond, surrounded by scrub. Then, they grow - first gradually, but soon with explosive force - attracting stores, creating jobs and struggling to keep pace with the need for more schools, more roads, more everything. And eventually, when no more land is available and home prices have skyrocketed, the whole cycle starts again, another 15 minutes down the turnpike." [1]
[edit] On Paradise Drive
In his book
[edit] Examples of exurbs
- In
- In
- In New York City
- In Northern New Jersey,
- In Connecticut,
- In Northern New Jersey,
- In Ohio,
- In Pennsylvania,
- In the Greater
- In the
Special note here is that Middlesex County, Connecticut is in the NYC
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Rybczynski, Witold (Nov. 7, 2005). "Suburban Despair".
[edit] External links
- Spectorsky, Auguste C. (1955). The Exurbanites. Lippincott, Philadelphia. OCLC 476943.
- The New York Times: Living Large, by Design, in Middle of Nowhere article on Exurbs. (Registration required)