Looking at history always provides important insights when planning for the future.

As a student of cities for over 30 years now, it is stating the obvious that cities, neighbourhoods, suburbs and their communities substantially evolve over time. Our most successful suburbs have evolved through several demographic cycles for 40, 80, 100 years or more. They  change their role and function as the local population changes.

The housing stock becomes more diverse, the local economy diversifies in response to the changing local market and changing local worker skill base. Public transport options become viable as the population density increases. Community life becomes richer as the suburb provides more choice and access to opportunity for its local residents.

So why are we building new fringe suburbs that are designed as end-state suburbs? Or worse - why are many of the new suburbs we are building on the fringes of our cities a designed in a way that will actually inhibit their future evolution?

Planners from both the private and public sector may do well to study a bit of history in order to better plan for our future.


Best wishes,