The End of the Suburbs

Where the American Dream is Moving

By: Leigh Gallagher

Narrated by: Jessica Geffen

Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

"The government in the past created one American Dream at the expense of almost all others: the dream of a house, a lawn, a picket fence, two children, and a car. But there is no single American Dream anymore."

For nearly 70 years, the suburbs were as American as apple pie. As the middle class ballooned and single-family homes and cars became more affordable, we flocked to pre-fabricated communities in the suburbs, a place where open air and solitude offered a retreat from our dense, polluted cities. Before long, success became synonymous with a private home in a bedroom community complete with a yard, a two-car garage and a commute to the office, and subdivisions quickly blanketed our landscape.

But in recent years things have started to change. An epic housing crisis revealed existing problems with this unique pattern of development, while the steady pull of long-simmering economic, societal and demographic forces has culminated in a Perfect Storm that has led to a profound shift in the way we desire to live.

In The End of the Suburbs journalist Leigh Gallagher traces the rise and fall of American suburbia from the stately railroad suburbs that sprung up outside American cities in the 19th and early 20th centuries to current-day sprawling exurbs where residents spend as much as four hours each day commuting. Along the way she shows why suburbia was unsustainable from the start and explores the hundreds of new, alternative communities that are springing up around the country and promise to reshape our way of life for the better.

Not all suburbs are going to vanish, of course, but Gallagher’s research and reporting show the trends are undeniable. Consider some of the forces at work:

• The nuclear family is no more: Our marriage and birth rates are steadily declining, while the single-person households are on the rise. Thus, the good schools and family-friendly lifestyle the suburbs promised are increasingly unnecessary.
• We want out of our cars: As the price of oil continues to rise, the hours-long commutes forced on us by sprawl have become unaffordable for many. Meanwhile, today’s younger generation has expressed a perplexing indifference toward cars and driving. Both shifts have fueled demand for denser, pedestrian-friendly communities.
• Cities are booming: Once abandoned by the wealthy, cities are experiencing a renaissance, especially among younger generations and families with young children. At the same time, suburbs across the country have had to confront never-before-seen rates of poverty and crime.

Blending powerful data with vivid on-the-ground reporting, Gallagher introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters, including the charismatic leader of the anti-sprawl movement; a mild-mannered Minnesotan who quit his job to convince the world that the suburbs are a financial Ponzi scheme; and the disaffected residents of suburbia, like the teacher whose punishing commute entailed leaving home at 4 a.m. and sleeping under her desk in her classroom.

Along the way, she explains why understanding the shifts taking place is imperative to any discussion about the future of our housing landscape and of our society itself - and why that future will bring us stronger, healthier, happier, and more diverse communities for everyone.

©2013 Leigh Gallagher (P)2013 Gildan Media LLC

Critic reviews

“Leigh Gallagher asks all the right questions and comes up with surprising conclusions in this sweeping discussion of the future of the suburb. Spoiler alert - it's a bleak future for the burbs, but don't panic: Gallagher foretells a new world order where the conveniences of the urban lifestyle rewire our understanding of the American Dream. You'll never look at a cul-de-sac the same way again after you enjoy this book, which is simultaneously entertaining and informative, breezy and analytical.”—Spencer Rascoff, CEO, Zillow“This book is a steel fist in a velvet glove. Beneath Leigh Gallagher's smooth, elegant prose there is a methodical smashing of the suburban paradigm. When all is done, a few shards remain—but only because she is scrupulously fair. This story of rise and ruin avoids the usual storm of statistics—nor is it a tale told with apocalyptic glee. The End of the Suburbs is the most convincing book yet on the lifestyle changes coming to our immediate future.”— Andres Duany, founding partner of Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company and co-author of Suburban Nation

Useful overview, but reading distracts

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, though as the previous reviewer said, it's best for an hour or so at a time. The overview of suburban development and relative decline is helpful, though quite repetitive, but she has some very good and memorable vignettes.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Not applicable

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Repeatedly mispronouncing fairly simple words. The audio needed a good editor.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

N/A

Any additional comments?

As for the writing, tighter editing would be helpful to avoid falling into the same cliches - and much more sustained attention to the paradox of how suburbanites' return to the urban core is reshaping the character of cities ("suburbanizing" them). The narrator has a pleasant voice, but unfortunately the mispronunciations are distracting.

Informative, but the title is a lie

This was informative regarding cities and suburbs and the Toll Brothers. It was interesting enough to come back to when I would tire of it after listening to it for several hours. But in the end I didn't get what I really wanted, which was a real sense regarding the future of cities and suburbs.
I can save you a credit if you want to know if the suburbs are going the way of the dodo, they aren't, according to this book. They are changing, and you will get a history of the suburbs in America, but no end.