Alana Semuels writes about the state of the zombie subdivisions scattered around the western United States—a derelict reminder of the high water mark of the last master planned community building boom.
The article starts out by painting the picture of the zombie subdivisions on the edge of Stockton, California, where an abandoned development now remains only partially completed.
"There are hundreds of zombie subdivisions like this one scattered across the country. They're one of the most visible reminders of the housing boom and bust, planned and paved in the heady days where it seemed that everybody wanted a home in the suburbs, and could afford it, too. But when the economy tanked, many of the developers behind these subdivisions went belly-up, and construction stopped."
After examining some of the more pernicious effects of zombie subdivisions, Semuels goes on to examine how developers and communities are dealing with the challenges presented by zombie subdivisions now that the economy is in a slow recovery.
FULL STORY: The Unfinished Suburbs of America
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
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Planetizen
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service