Growing Suburbs for the Good for the World

Part cautionary tale, part message of hope, a pair of recent articles by The Economist devotes significant ink to the exploration of lessons from the ongoing growth of suburbs around the world.

The first notes that "suburbs could hardly be less fashionable" in the West, citing the example of Ferguson and the glut of attention devoted to the revitalization of downtowns. The article makes some pointed observations about the continued popularity and growth of suburbs in the United States, while cautioning against some of the same patterns in suburban growth around the world. Call this article the statement of purpose.

The second presents four vignettes, full of graphics and infographics from growing suburbs around the world, such as Chennai, India; Croydon, U.K., and Phoenix, Arizona. The premise of the feature: "The word is becoming ever more suburban, and the better for it."