This document discusses the history and development of cities and suburbs. It notes that urban settlements first appeared around 3000 BC and that in 1800 only 3% of the world's population lived in cities, rising to 47% by 2000. It also discusses the post-WWII creation of suburbs like Levittown, which used an assembly-line approach to mass produce homes. Suburbs were highly regulated communities that aimed to give residents a sense of belonging. However, some experts now argue that suburbs have proved financially unsustainable due to their low-density development models.

1. Mathias Klang - @klangable – mklang@sju.edu
Cities & Suburbs

2. Urban population in 2005 world map

3. Excerpt: Hans Rosling: Religions and babies
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_religions_and_babies

4. Urban settlements
appeared around
3,000 B.C. in
ancient
Mesopotamia,
Egypt, and the
Indus Valley

5. Grow, Store, Transport Surplus

6. In 1800, only 3% of the world's
population lived in cities, a
figure that rose to 47% by the
end of the twentieth century.
In 1950, there were 83 cities
with populations exceeding
one million; by 2007, this
number had risen to 468.
Megacities

7. Power and Organization
The City: By Whom and for Whom?

8. Theocritus’ bucolics in 3rd century
bc

9. inner zone: coextensive with the boundaries
of the old industrial city. Suburbia (1920s),
designed for the automobile

10. Creating Suburbia: Moses et al

11. William J. Levitt – creator of suburbia

12. Levitt & Sons’ 26-step assembly line building method.
Construction workers moved from house to house
performing one task. Levitt's workers to produce a
finished house every 16 minutes.

13. Levittown Highly Regulated

14. “For a man who owns his home acquires with it a
new dignity… He begins to take pride in what is his
own, and pride in conserving and improving it for
his children. He becomes a more steadfast and
concerned citizen of his community. He becomes
more self-confident and self-reliant. The mere act
of becoming a homeowner transforms him. It gives
him roots, a sense of belonging, a true stake in his
community and well being.”
Sen. Charles Percy (1966)

15. What’s with the lawn?

16. Philly, a recent survey of renters conducted by the
city found unexpected levels of social engagement.
Planners were surprised by how many renters
knew their neighbors, participated in
neighborhood events and helped maintain the
physical environment through volunteer work.
Salon Magazine

17. Rental as norm

18. The “suburban experiment,” as he calls it, has been a fiscal failure. On top of the
issues of low-density tax collection, sprawling development is more expensive to
build. Roads are wider and require more paving. Water and sewage service costs are
higher. It costs more to maintain emergency services since more fire stations and
police stations are needed per capita to keep response times down. Children need to
be bused farther distances to school.
Charles Marohn

19. The End of the Suburbs: Leigh Gallagher

20. Health and Design
“Garrick and Marshall report that cities with more compact street
networks—specifically, increased intersection density—have lower levels
of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The more
intersections, the healthier the humans.”

21. The city and it’s users

22. Unpleasant design

24. Private Public Space

25. Private Public Space: Control

27. Genpei Akasegawa
Thomassons

28. Desire Paths

30. Mathias Klang
www.klangable.com
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