Christopher and Lisa Leinberger present a history of popular television shows reflecting and predicting how Americans chose to live.
"There have been two crucial times over the last 60 years when TV shows switched settings, reflecting society’s shifts in the way we have invested in infrastructure and real estate. We are in the middle of the second structural shift right now, which started in the mid-1990s. TV helped to predict that change," write the Leinbergers.
The list has two criteria: "prime-time situation comedies and dramas (no daytime TV, sports, news or reality shows)" and "the built environment — walkable urban or drivable suburban — must play a significant, though generally subtle, role in the show."
Here are a couple of examples of what they came up with, among the six examples of television eras described in the article:
- "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" (1951-1966) for era #3: "Drivable suburban living lionized (late 1950s through the late 1960s)"
- "The Sopranos" (1999-2007) for era #6: "Growing dysfunction in the suburbs (late 1990s to the present)"
FULL STORY: How TV Predicted America’s Moves From City to ‘Burbs and Back Again
An Urbanist Agenda for Education
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Public Perceptions of Sprawl and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Urban density has a bad reputation.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
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Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service