The Changing Face Of Suburbia

I’m not sure what to make of this:

White flight? In a reversal, America’s suburbs are now more likely to be home to minorities, the poor and a rapidly growing older population as many younger, educated whites move to cities for jobs and shorter commutes.

An analysis of 2000-2008 census data by the Brookings Institution highlights the demographic “tipping points” seen in the past decade and the looming problems in the 100 largest metropolitan areas, which represent two-thirds of the U.S. population.

The findings could offer an important road map as political parties, including the tea party movement, seek to win support in suburban battlegrounds in the fall elections and beyond. In 2008, Barack Obama carried a substantial share of the suburbs, partly with the help of minorities and immigrants.

The analysis being released Sunday provides the freshest detail on the nation’s growing race and age divide, which is now feeding tensions in Arizona over its new immigration law.

Ten states, led by Arizona, surpass the nation in a “cultural generation gap” in which the senior populations are disproportionately white and children are mostly minority.

This gap is pronounced in suburbs of fast-growing areas in the Southwest, including those in Florida, California, Nevada, and Texas.

So what’s going on?  As a city resident I can relate to wanting to live in a city, but I’m use to being the minority opinion in that debate.  Looks like that may be changing.

The suburbs now have the largest poor population in the country. They are home to the vast majority of baby boomers age 55 to 64, a fast-growing group that will strain social services after the first wave of boomers turns 65 next year.

What is worrying about this trend is the lack of services for suburbia’s aging population because, let’s face it, driving is a necessity in the suburbs, and getting older eventually involves giving up one’s license.  And while public transportation varies from city to city, it exists.  Unlike in suburbia, where the walk to the nearest bus/subway stop may involve a series of winding roads and cul-de-sacs.  Might be wise to invest in taxi services?

This is an interesting trend, and I’m not lying when I say I’m not sure what to think about it.   Over the last ten years I have seen a shift in who’s moving into my neighborhood (and who’s moving out).  When we first moved here there weren’t many families with school age children, now there are.  We’ve also seen an influx of people living here and commuting to New York – I kid you not.  But the greatest influx has been split between young professionals and older (50+) former suburbanites.  When I ask our older new arrivals why they moved into the city the answers have a lot in common – they wanted to downsize, they sought a more affordable lifestyle (most mention the cost of heating and air-conditioning their former homes along with being tired of maintaining their yard) and convenience.

So what does this mean for our cities and suburbs?