Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Commuting

Richard Florida: Decline of the Burbs is Not Just About Gas Prices

Via Planetizen, Richard Florida argues the decline in the popularity of
suburbs is not just a product of rising oil prices, but a result of a
new "spatial fix" that is reorganizing how and where people live their
lives. From Florida's column in the Globe and Mail:

What's happening here goes a lot deeper than the end of cheap oil. Weare now passing through the early development of a wholly newgeographic order – what geographers call “the spatial fix” – of whichthe move back toward the city is just one part.

Suburbanization was the spatial fix for the industrial age – thegeographic expression of mass production. Low-cost mortgages, massivehighway systems and suburban infrastructure projects fuelled theindustrial engine of postwar capitalism, propelling demand for cars,appliances and all sorts of industrial goods.

The creative economy is giving rise to a new spatial fix and a verydifferent geography – the contours of which are only now emerging.Rising fuel costs are one thing, but in today's idea-driven economy, it's time costs that really matter.With the constant pressure to be more efficient and to innovate, itmakes little sense to waste countless collective hours commuting. Sothe most efficient and productive regions are the ones in which peopleare thinking and working – not sitting in traffic. And, according todetailed research by the Nobel Prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman,commuting is among the least enjoyable, if not the single leastenjoyable, of all human activities.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

New Air Quality Stats Dispel Earlier Forecasts for Congestion Pricing Pollution

Air quality has improved or remained steady across the five boroughs since congestion pricing launched in January, city health department data showed.

July 7, 2025

‘Rush’ Routes Debut in Queens Bus Map Overhaul More Than Five Years in the Making

The MTA's new "rush" routes make fewer stops in busy downtown areas to avoid wasted time merging in and out of traffic.

July 7, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: Run This Town Edition

The 34th Street busway is the latest casualty of the mayor's lack of a spine on transportation issues. Plus more news.

July 7, 2025

Beach Reading: Zohran Mamdani’s Answers to Streetsblog’s Mayoral Candidate Survey

Spend the holiday weekend with Zohran Mamdani's answers to Streetsblog's mayoral candidate questionnaire.

July 4, 2025

Friday Video: Why NYC Needs ‘Low-Traffic Neighborhoods’

London's Church Street, like so many of our business corridors, was choking on cars — until the advent of the low-traffic neighborhood.

July 4, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: E-Bikes in Parks … Permanently Edition

The Parks Department will permanently allow e-bikes in city parks following a two-year pilot. Plus more news.

July 4, 2025
See all posts