Khamm·net

White Eagle Park by artist Ross Racine.

Immediately following World War II a new pattern of development swept across the United States. Like a plague of insects descending upon carefully nurtured crops, this suburban pattern threatens the health of our country by both contributing to and forming many social, environmental and financial ills.

The consumption of pristine land, separation of people from one another, attack on heterogeneous cities from shoddily-built homogeneous suburbs, proliferation of green-house gas emitting automobiles and many other detrimental changes to a society that was once growing in a healthy manner can be traced to the suburban development patterns which gained momentum in the 1950’s.

I feel that we live in an unprecedented time. Development patterns seem to be leading us in a direction that could throw our country, and possibly the world, into social, environmental and fiscal ruin. It is clear that the solution to this dilemma is to return to a development pattern based upon the traditional structure of the neighborhood, town and city. No longer can we afford to separate land uses into homogeneous configurations that break apart once thriving communities.

The current economic crisis has given us a moment to pause, and to reevaluate the patterns that got us into this downturn. I hope that we use this moment to learn from the mistakes that led us to where we are today.

This is part one of a four part series on the ills that large-scale suburban development has caused. The next topic will focus on select social ills which are particularly pronounced in suburban communities.