“We baby boomers are in a state of denial. We grew up with a love for the open road, big cars, and bigger houses. Our favorite shows were “Route 66”, and the book that defined many of our generation was Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road”. Density was a bad word, and public transit considered the mode of the “commoner”. Now, we’re left scratching our heads at the idea that our children would want to abandon all we held dear.”

-Lon D. Roberts, Ph.D.

I remember telling my parents that my wife and I wanted to move closer to the city, to be able to take in more amenities, and lower our reliance on cars. Growing up in far North Garland, then later moving to Plano, my mom was shocked when we announced we had decided to move to Oak Cliff. We were fed horror stories of the Cliff from the first day dad purchased our Fox & Jacobs cookie cutter home in a sub-division that is now slowly unraveling and showing the same signs of wear seen in small cities across the country.

In the early 90’s, my parents upgraded to what we now refer to as a mini-McMansion, since the goal of their generation was to “go bigger”. Now that they’re empty-nesters, they’re beginning to look at selling but are saddened by all of the yard signs on their block, with homes that have been vacant for well over a year now. Even in this economy, on our little block in Oak Cliff, 1920’s tudor style homes with two rooms and a single bathroom are turning over quickly for prices we would have assumed unthinkable only a few years ago. Four young families have moved in over the past 6 months and we’re seeing more children on the playgrounds than ever. We’re now faced with a problem we never anticipated, a saturation of affluent young people who are pushing out many of the poorer minorities that make up much of Oak Cliff’s incredible culture.

Though we face challenges in retaining our unique characteristics and culture, one area that has been a rallying point for the entire community has been the push for better urban form, and to remove the car-centric suburban infrastructure that was implemented in the early 70’s which broke down much of our area’s livability. I’ve been amazed at the amount of support we’ve received from the community, developers, and city/state representatives. Our local city council candidates have even taken up the mantle are openly running on a pro-complete streets platform. It’s heartening, but given the trends seen across the nation, it’s not unexpected. We’re riding a tidal wave of change, and I’m hopeful for the future of our little community, but saddened for my parents and their generation, for the loss of something they held dear.

My father forwarded me the Fast Company article titled, Suburbia R.I.P., with a side note saying “I see this happening first hand in our neighborhood…very few young families are moving in”. The article notes:

“The demand for suburban homes may never recover, given the long-term prospects of energy costs for commuting and heating, and the prohibitive inefficiencies of low-density construction. The whole suburban idea was founded on disposable spending and the promise of cheap gas. Without them, it may wither. A study by the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech predicts that by 2025 there will be as many as 22 million unwanted large-lot homes in suburban areas.

The suburb has been a costly experiment. Thirty-five percent of the nation’s wealth has been invested in building a drivable suburban landscape, according to Christopher Leinberger, an urban planning professor at the University of Michigan and visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. James Howard Kunstler, author of “The Geography of Nowhere,” has been saying for years that we can no longer afford suburbs. “If Americans think they’ve been grifted by Goldman Sachs and Bernie Madoff, wait until they find out what a swindle the so-called ‘American Dream’ of suburban life turns out to be,” he wrote on his blog this week. ”

I remember reading an article titled The New Pragmatists by Jaime Correa, in 2004, and thinking how spot on it was at the time:

“…the GenXers are just beginning to contemplate buying a house. They never developed the emotional attachment to larger homes that Baby Boomers did. GenXers seek something different anyway. In fact, they are aware that urban living requires more expensive properties on smaller lots. In their paradoxical world, they are conscious that urban living is both authentic and inventive. In their continuous search for newness, and as pointed out by Ann Clurman, “Xers will build something new rather than re-create something old. They will find something to remember rather than try to recall something that they remember.”

With all we’re seeing now, and the realities brought on from a hurting economy and a generation entering retirement, the only thing we can truly be assured of is change. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

(Notice, all of the above areas are car free)