Magazine

With a background as a real estate developer, Christopher Leinberger brings a different perspective to land-use strategy than academics or even some city planners. Leinberger is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C., where he is researching “walkable urban” places and development models for cities. His latest book, The Option of Urbanism: Investing in a New American Dream, was published by Island Press last fall.

NAC: In an article you wrote for the Atlantic Monthly, you predict suburban life will fall out of fashion. I wonder how realistic you think that is, given that apparently 300 million Americans want large houses, cars, good public schools, and malls, whereas maybe 40 million want dense urban life.

CL: This isn’t a city-versus-suburb issue. This is a walkable-urban versus drivable suburban issue. Here’s a snapshot: 30 to 40 percent of people want walkable urban space, 30 to 40 percent want drivable suburban, and 30 percent will accept either. The problem is that ... most metropolitan areas can’t meet that demand [for walkable space]. Hence the pent-up demand and price premium.

One of the Philadelphia region’s problems is that its entire walkable region is in the city. It’s the same in New York; same with Boston and Chicago ... Here in D.C., with a new transit system, 70 percent of the walkable urban places are in the suburbs.

I have done some work in cities such as St. Louis and Cincinnati, urging them to create drivable suburban places in the cities, leaving room for large-square-footprint warehouses and back-office spaces.