American Planning Association

New Book Sounds Death Knell for Suburbs Media Briefing Presentation CHICAGO — The suburbs are in a fragile state and it is only going to get worse. The recent foreclosure crisis has masked the true, underlying problems facing U.S. suburbs. These are basic structural problems that will not vanish with a global economic recovery. Foreclosing the Dream: How America's Housing Crisis Is Reshaping Our Cities and Suburbs, published by the American Planning Association (APA), is the first book to look beyond financial manipulations to understand what truly fueled the foreclosure crisis and what it means for the future of suburbs and cities. According to the book: Higher rates of foreclosures in new suburbs and exurbs compared to lower rates in cities show that the American Dream is changing. The number of households in the 30 to 45 age group has declined by 3.4 million since 2000 and this has reduced demand for large suburban houses. The stereotypical "white flight exodus" from central cities has been reversed in