Surreal Slums

Carol Lloyd, whose column in the Chronicle: Surreal Estate, I enjoy occassionally, is yet the next person to jump on the Suburbs into Slums conversation.  The twist is that she has added information about Richard Florida’s “knowledge workers” which I have been meaning to read up more about, both his information and the criticism of his theories.   But anyway, highlights:

…These fabled super cities, Richard Florida contends in his new book, “Who’s Your City,” are attracting an increasingly disproportionate number of educated, creative knowledge workers who fuel the economy. In turn, these folks are keeping housing prices relatively high despite recurring appearances of the R-word on our front pages.

…

“Over the last few decades we’ve structurally overinvested in fringe real estate,” explains Christopher Leinberger…

Last fall, Leinberger published “The Option of Urbanism,” a book about the changing sociology of the built environment. Like Florida, he sees the growing attraction to urban living as a matter of critical importance.

…

When asked if the edge suburbs are turning into slums, Florida concurs with Leinberger’s ominous vision, “Yes, they are already well on their way,” he says. “The knowledge workers can’t afford the time cost, they can’t afford the commuting time.”

…

Now with high gas prices, long commutes, a bad job market and a new attraction to walkable urban living, it’s just a matter of time before suburban fringes begin to absorb the people that can’t make it in the city.

…

In Europe, where the cities never died, the suburbs have long been the homes of last resort for the poor and the marginalized. Just last week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced yet another plan to revive the suburban slums that erupted in riots in 2005 — the 16th such proposal in 31 years.

Florida and Leinberger say that retooling the suburbs is going to make urban renewal look like a walk in the park.

“Suburb development is really fragile,” Leinberger explains. “It’s going to be very complex to rebuild.”

…

“It’s an enormous opportunity,” says [John] Norquist, “Thirty percent of the housing stock that will exist in 2030 hasn’t been built yet. Developers who are creating walkable neighborhoods are doing very well.” Indeed, the fact that Americans are embracing walkable neighborhoods is a good thing for their waistlines, their pocketbooks and the planet. “(Al) Gore talks about the inconvenient truth,” says Norquist, “I call this the convenient solution: living in a more urban way.”…

This is why we have to continue moving the dialogue about issues like Measure A and the type of community we want to see out at Alameda Point.   Which is why I still appreciate conversations like “what about more commercial” or “let’s build commercial first.”   That’s fine, but it doesn’t negate the need to talk about the types of housing that should eventually get built out at Alameda Point.  And the reason why it’s discussed so much is, again, not because that is the only thing proposed, but that is the main bone of contention.    Do we want to have high paying jobs that will draw what Richard Florida calls the “knowledge workers” and even more broadly the “creative class“?   And actually what would come first, the workers or the jobs, or is a delicate balance of building both at once and hoping that the promise of one will bring the other?

But to wrap up with a final quote from the Lloyd article:

“If you build, will they come?” asks Leinberger. “You just don’t know. But if you don’t build it, there’s not a prayer they will come.”