Analysis Of Reshaping Metropolitan America

Reshaping Metropolitan America provides an outlook of the next fifteen years for infrastructure development in the United States. Nearly two-thirds of the buildings that will be necessary to handle the projected half billion residents of the Untied States by 2030 are not built yet. We also need to reshape our cities to handle the inversion trend; families and the next generation want to move back and live near downtown. Richard C. Nelson, the author, supports this population shift but does not strongly support it. Instead of trying to create room and additional infrastructure in downtown areas, Nelson believes that metropolitan areas should start to urbanize its suburbs to accommodate desired urban living. The American population is also changing

An aging population, a younger generation who prefer walkable places, economic shifts, and the environmental impacts of suburban development are all contributing factors” (Beatz 141). Reshaping Metropolitan America gives an argument, as well as a blueprint, on how we can transform our infrastructure and housing demands by 2030. Richard C. Nelson, the author, is a professor in the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning and the Planning Degree program at the University of Arizona. He has made substantial contributions in real estate analysis and urban growth trends. Nelson also created the term ‘megapolitan’ which he predicts the United States will have over twenty by 2040. These megapolitans are the result of the reverse sprawl and creating major economic centers, which will make America globally competitive. Nelson’s background ties in to many of his ideas in the book, with the main points focusing on demographic changes, housing trends, more space for future jobs and the benefits of reshaping metropolitan America. Changing demographics support the notion that more people are choosing an urban lifestyle over sprawl, which means a higher preference of

Specialists in real estate, urban studies and job growth can refer to this book in the future and see if Nelson was correct. Aside from that, I think anyone who reads this book will agree with Nelson on most of his points and predictions. The only thing that readers may disagree with is focusing on urbanizing the suburbs instead of renovating the downtown areas of cities. With many case studies and selected readings promoting the reverse flight back into cities, such as The Great Inversion, there is a great influence on gentrifying inner city neighborhoods around the country to spring economic growth. It is also evident that the suburbs are starting to have the same negative effects cities experienced before sprawl occurred; they are becoming poor and crime is increasing. In Nelson’s case, readers could be persuaded that redeveloping the suburbs -which has more space for housing and jobs – can fix these problems and create the urban lifestyle that many people