Reviews
Reshaping Metropolitan America: Development Trends and Opportunities to 2030 by Arthur C. Nelson
gabsalott13's review
4.0
In the first pages of Reshaping Metropolitan America, Arthur C. Nelson shares his terrifying premise: existing development patterns have no chance of meeting the next twenty years' demand for walkable, renter-occupied housing units that can accommodate the stagnant incomes and smaller household sizes of younger Americans!
In their heart of hearts, even the most ardent suburbanites know this is true. Our country is changing, and our housing is not changing with it—at least enough! The various costs of sprawl have been exemplified time and time again, but perhaps with less numbers and direct scenarios as Nelson maps out in this book.
By using a variety of market research methods to show just how many Americans would support a greater supply of Smart Growth development in the coming years, his work goes beyond the particular costs of sprawl, and shows us the particular benefits of its solutions. His varied models and statistical explanations of demand for space-occupying jobs or infill development are well-reasoned and directly geared towards getting us closer to sprawl’s solutions and further away from urbanist parking rants (haha.)
It’s a short read that serves as a great primer on the demographic and market trends changing Americans’ housing preferences; a substantive brief on the potential solutions that can be found through infill and redevelopment of suburban, low-density, non-residential locations; and a hopeful explanation of the benefits our country could reap if we get growth right!
He concludes with eight key policies that can help us reshape Metropolitan America, including reform of tax and zoning codes, and a greater embrace of alternate dwelling units and transit modes. It’s an incredibly ambitious agenda, and one that (according to his 2030 timeline) we are already behind on! However, as an entry-level planner, this book has left me feeling inspired, encouraged, and equipped to try.
In their heart of hearts, even the most ardent suburbanites know this is true. Our country is changing, and our housing is not changing with it—at least enough! The various costs of sprawl have been exemplified time and time again, but perhaps with less numbers and direct scenarios as Nelson maps out in this book.
By using a variety of market research methods to show just how many Americans would support a greater supply of Smart Growth development in the coming years, his work goes beyond the particular costs of sprawl, and shows us the particular benefits of its solutions. His varied models and statistical explanations of demand for space-occupying jobs or infill development are well-reasoned and directly geared towards getting us closer to sprawl’s solutions and further away from urbanist parking rants (haha.)
It’s a short read that serves as a great primer on the demographic and market trends changing Americans’ housing preferences; a substantive brief on the potential solutions that can be found through infill and redevelopment of suburban, low-density, non-residential locations; and a hopeful explanation of the benefits our country could reap if we get growth right!
He concludes with eight key policies that can help us reshape Metropolitan America, including reform of tax and zoning codes, and a greater embrace of alternate dwelling units and transit modes. It’s an incredibly ambitious agenda, and one that (according to his 2030 timeline) we are already behind on! However, as an entry-level planner, this book has left me feeling inspired, encouraged, and equipped to try.
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