Escape from the suburban fringe

The subprime-mortgage crisis has hit suburbia bad. Is this the straw that breaks the back of McMansions and unwalkable cities?

In the March 2008 issue of The Atlantic, Christopher B. Leinberger suggests that towns filled with identical houses and clipped green lawns may soon be a thing of the past.

He writes: "The pendulum is swinging back toward urban living, and there are many reasons to believe this swing will continue." Cities offer the ability to walk to shopping, jobs, and entertainment. With rising gas prices, this is a big advantage.

The article also points out: "If New York City were its own state, it would be the most energy-efficient state in the union." A large part of this is due to less reliance on cars.

While not everyone wants to walk or take the bus, clearly some folks want the choice. Suburbs don't offer these options, while urban landscapes do.