Beyond Suburbia

Abstract

The next stage of suburbanization is taking place at the edges of metropolitan areas as these areas merge into the megalopolis. The United States is already a nation in which suburbanites constitute the largest portion, but not yet the majority, of Americans. Many of these suburbanites will be suburban-born and bred, rather than having decentralized from the center city. Their moves will be from suburb to suburb or suburb to exurb, and they will thus have little direct life experience with high density living and central city prob lems. The questions this poses for social science theory are examined in detail in this article. Early studies of life style and attitudes beyond suburbia suggest that they differ consider ably from those of the earlier generation of suburbanites. The implications of megalopolitan structure for racial minorities and for women are also examined, with little evidence that racist or sexist patterns have been changed. Brief considera tion of these and other public policy questions indicates that the political structures to meet the various needs of a megalo politan constituency have not been developed and remain a major question.