(Sub)Urbanism Next?

In the Sunday Review section of the New York Times, Alan M. Berger of the MIT Center for Advanced Urbanism poses some interesting questions about the future of suburbs. Berger assumes that the future “lies on urban peripheries” and offers some innovative ideas for making the suburbs more sustainable. Coupled with excellent research from scholars like Ellen Dunham-Jones and Emily Talen on retrofitting suburbia, Berger brings a unique perspective on how technology might force changes along the periphery of cities. In particular, Berger thinks about how drones, self-driving cars, and a smarter landscape will affect suburbs of the future. As we think about how autonomous vehicles, e-commerce and the sharing economy impact cities, it is also important to consider the urban periphery and think about retrofits and new development. In particular, it is important to consider how to adopt policies to and regulations to allow for the kind of future Berger suggests.