City life is being sold as a convenient version of the suburbs, with similar amenities minus the time-consuming commute.

Candace Jackson writes that more wealthy people are moving back into cities from the suburbs and developers are marketing an urban lifestyle to them that reflects the suburban life they are leaving behind. Much larger units, rooftop gardens and swimming pools, and parking garages are elements of new developments that are reminiscent of suburbia, says Jackson:
At the Quay Tower, which overlooks Brooklyn Bridge Park [in New York City], there are just five condos on each floor, two of which have private elevator access. Inside, the larger units have something you see a lot of on HGTV suburban house renovation shows: large mudrooms off the back door with locker-like cubbies and sturdy ceramic-tile floors.
In addition, the areas around these buildings are catering to suburban sensibilities, with big-box retail, malls, and upscale food courts. "Of course, these new buildings are designed for a very narrow slice of the population — those who can afford to spend multiple millions of dollars on a home — but it’s a slice of the population whose purchasing decisions affect all city dwellers," notes Jackson.
Jackson notes that the demographic changes happening in cities involve not just class but, for some cities, race as well. "The return of affluent whites to cities has made for a something of a reversal of the white-flight phenomenon of the early and mid-20th century, when middle class and wealthy whites left cities en masse for the homogeneous suburbs."
FULL STORY: The Suburbs Are Coming to a City Near You

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Opinion: Transit Agencies Must View Service Cuts as Last Resort
Reducing service could cripple transit systems by pushing more riders to consider car ownership, making future recovery even less certain.

‘Smart Surfaces’ Policy Guide Offers Advice for Building and Maintaining Urban Tree Canopies
Healthy, robust tree canopies can reduce the impacts of extreme heat and improve air quality.

New Jersey Lawsuit Targets Rent-Setting Algorithms
The state of New Jersey is taking legal action against landlords and companies that engage in what the state’s Attorney General alleges is illegal rent fixing.
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