In an Op-Ed (Diversity and the Changing Face of Suburbia, July 18) at Next American City they argue that for some American suburbs the old stereotypes don't apply anymore. They are characterized by diversity and a majority of households without children. They have essentially the same elements that make a place urban - they just arrange it a bit differently than traditional central cities. And "Cosmoburbs" is the term used to describe these places.
According to the book, Boomburbs: The Rise of America's Accidental Cities, the term is used to describe wealthy suburbs that are also divers and increasingly contain non-traditional households. Places like Lakewood, Colorado and Arlington, Virginia. From the article:
"Lakewood, Colorado is following a land-use planning model set by Arlington, Va., in the 1980s when it focused denser growth along the Washington Metro system’s Orange Line. Arlington in 1980, like Lakewood today, contained mostly post-World War II single-family housing in mostly homogeneous neighborhoods. But the Orange Line changed the city into a more diverse and vibrant place. Lakewood is poised to do the same over the next decade, as will other suburbs with new light-rail systems, such as Tempe, Ariz."
While the op-ed focuses on diversity as a drawing card for attracting a creative class of people to these prospering places, another element is there too. These places are also largely more dense and transit-oriented than traditional suburbs. All together these elements make for what the authors call the new economic hubs for an increasingly “brain"-oriented economy. And I bet they drink of lot of cosmos there too.
Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Chief for Arlington County, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.
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