.:: The End of Suburbia ::.

THE END OF SUBURBIA: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream

"We're literally stuck up a cul-de-sac in a cement SUV without a fill-up"
-- James Howard Kunstler

Since World War II North Americans have invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. It has promised a sense of space, affordability, family life and upward mobility. As the population of suburban sprawl has exploded in the past 50 years, so too has the suburban way of life become embedded in the American consciousness.

Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream.

But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this documentary.

The consequences of inaction in the face of this global crisis are enormous. What does Oil Peak mean for North America? As energy prices skyrocket in the coming years, how will the populations of suburbia react to the collapse of their dream? Are today's suburbs destined to become the slums of tomorrow? And what can be done NOW, individually and collectively, to avoid The End of Suburbia ?




www.endofsuburbia.com...



[edit on 6-6-2005 by ghostsoldier]

Is this documentry suggesting that Not having gasoline for a Ford Expedition is gonna ruin Suburbia? Come'on now, don't they have have any clue how America works? Having the "hottest " new alternative fueled SUV in the driveway will keep the suburbs rolling along just fine. Just wait till you see P-diddy and Regis Philbun rolling along in hydrogen powered Hummers, that's all the American public needs and boom a new fad is created. Cars are not just necessary in the U.S. they are also Jewlery. You can trade your Swatch for a Rolex or vice versa at anytime, just depends on the popular movement of the time.

The "burbs" are not dependent on any one fad for survival in the American Dream. Seems to me you could make that kind of "end of suburbia" argument about anything if tried hard enough. "Will the Raw Food Diet ruin suburban life? After all who's gonna use their backyard grills anymore if everyones on the Raw Food Diet? Who needs a backyard if you're not gonna grill steaks?" I just don't buy it.

I'm sure the movie disscusses more then gas prices, like heating oil and electicity too, but those are gonna be factors no matter where you live, be it high rise apartment, farm in Nebraska, or any 3/2 near great schools and the mall. No, high energy prices are gonna crush third world and socialist countries a heck of alot worse then anything the average suburbanite will see. The simple fact that the marketplace shifts away from overpriced commodities, and neccessity spawns invention, will gaurantee Suburban life. The most amazing things are always just around the corner, waiting for consumers to demand them.

Why target people who live in the suburbs? They use far less energy then people who live in cities...

Suburbia is a constantly moving place. As Slum-ville grows malignant, from the center out, the Suburbia retreats to the remote corners of the USA. places like New Mexico or central US. The End of Suburbia is found in the beginning of its' future. How's that for a thought

I really don't see the suburbs becoming the 'slums of tomorrow'. One distinct difference between suburban and urban housing is space. I imagine there will always be those people, particularly families, that want to have the house with enough space for the kids and a nice yard for the playset; things which are not readily found in urban areas; the typical urban house (which should be read as condo, apartment etc. etc.) will most likely be small, and your 'yard' will be the neighborhood park.

I have seen this documentary and I enjoyed it. This film does not focus on the suburbs as much as this thread is. The film speaks about the factors that lead to the birth of "suburbia," and the primary reason that the suburban life is feasable is through affordable individual transportation. Suburbia was funded and built by automobile manufacturers.

An obvious possible result of an oil crisis is the end of cheap transportation, and this would hit America very hard - much harder than any third world countries, for many reasons, but chiefly because we get so much of our food and consumer goods from other countries or states. Third world countries that don't depend on oil as much as the U.S. does would be effected to a lesser degree, parallel with their oil dependence levels.

As damaging as this would be for city residents, it would be that much moreso for people who are only connected to the city by a 30 mile freeway.

Zip

Originally posted by DCFusion
I really don't see the suburbs becoming the 'slums of tomorrow'. One distinct difference between suburban and urban housing is space. I imagine there will always be those people, particularly families, that want to have the house with enough space for the kids and a nice yard for the playset; things which are not readily found in urban areas; the typical urban house (which should be read as condo, apartment etc. etc.) will most likely be small, and your 'yard' will be the neighborhood park.

There is no truth to this, and actually, if you take a look around your city, the slummy areas outside of uptown were probably at one time considered "suburbs." Some wards and slums of the inner city once served the same market as the suburbs of today, and the suburbs were just pushed out further as the city developed outwards.

In Houston, we have "the Heights." In the fifties, this was a typical, middle class, Chevrolet driving suburban neighborhood, but it is now partly slum, partly lower middle class. I don't know where you live, but if you live in a city, be sure that some neighborhoods which were once "suburban" are now "slums."

This isn't something that happened some time in the past, it is rather something that is constantly happening.

Zip

Originally posted by ghostsoldier

"We're literally stuck up a cul-de-sac in a cement SUV without a fill-up"
-- James Howard Kunstler


But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life.

didn't this author just dust off one of his 1970s concepts, put the tag-line of 'Peak Oil' in the mix.....and Viola !!

maybe his conjecture would work as a worst-case scenario
but, 'suburbia' can't be a dead-horse anytime soon....there's just too many,
10s-of-millions by housing sales reports for just this 2005 year, and the
10-20-30 year mortages tied to these new tract suburbia homes...for anything like a sudden and clamatous disintegration of suburbia to happen.

i only see a tweeking and new infrastructures to the suburban landscape
in adjusting to the paradigm of 'diminishing petroleum resources'

elect club cars from house to public transportation hub
then elect club cars from destination hub to your work place,
debit cards as the facilitator...a new twist on Fords' production line Model T

the hybrid transportation units, a luxury, could be had for those willing to pay toll fees for their daily commutes....but the independent car/transportation units would normally be only used for vacations & such.
*the suburban lawn space, would afford itself as a landing pad area for EMS & HazMat & PA IX mini-copters
*as would hi-rise condo rooftops

there's too many possibilities with tweeking, to throw away the baby with the bath water...mr Kunstler

Suburbia will not trully die, it will just change the distance and size. Current inhibitors are

The daily commute, when it becomes longer than the 1/3 of the workday people will resort to staying put. Currnetly I work with people that spend that amount of time coming to and from work. Eat, Drive, Work, Sleep... Great life...

Construction of new homes will increase to a point where only dual income families can afford them. Land and associated taxes will be too high to be sustained. Especially since we are staring to see the Globalization Effect on wages.

Homes are built for about 1/2 of a generation before they are to be leveled. This being the problem you will always have the Ring Effect where the center is the most deteriated. Gone are the days were you would give your house to a child...
After a number of years the homes will razed and new 1/2 generation GATED communities will take over where everyone will follow the CCNR or ELSE...

Just my thoughts