The Long American Nightmare Is Over

To whom it may concern,

Since World War II, major metropolitan areas across the country have been expanding outward, destroying precious farmland, sensitive natural environments, and the American dream. Instead of stable single family neighborhoods, these suburbs are characterized by long commutes, congestion, unhealthy lifestyles, depression, and now economic ruin. It appears that the recent real estate bubble was the culmination of fifty years of single suburban sprawl development. In essence, the average American has reached a breaking point. These suburbanites are detached from each other, attached to their automobiles, and struggling to find real, meaningful community interaction. In a recent survey, twice as many people believe that money should go to building more transit instead of roadways. And more than have of those surveyed said growth should be directed into existing urban areas. Virtually every government tax incentive, policy, and funding mechanism has been built on this old, outdated, and unhealthy mode of suburban and highway development. As a nation, our priorities have shifted, and our government is now behind the curve. With the tide turning on suburban America, how will this administration structurally rework the system to benefit infill development, mass transportation expansion, transit oriented development, and open space preservation?

GUNNAR HAND, AICP