Exurbs

Exurbia is low-density residential development that occurs at the suburban edge of metropolitan regions. The stereotypical vision of exurban life includes large homes on spacious lots, family life centered on the home, and a desire to escape from the urban ills of crowding, crime, and congestion. However, in contrast to those who see paradise in the guise of exurbia, critics of exurban development contend that such low-density landscapes are simply a form of sprawl where resources are squandered on large lots and long commutes.

Exurban areas are characterized by high commuting flows, low housing density, and rapid population growth. According to the Brookings Institution, about 17 million people, 5.6% of the U.S. population, lived in the exurbs by 2007, compared with 14 million people in 2000. In 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau released a study [Page 1075]called “Population Change in Central and Outlying Counties of Metropolitan Statistical Areas: 2000 to 2007,” which reported that the outlying areas of large cities—those areas beyond the traditional suburbs—grew more than 13% between 2000 and 2007, nearly double the average rate of the closer suburbs.

Why are exurban areas growing so fast? In his 1955 book, The Exurbanites, Spectorsky (1955) argued that exurbanites were motivated by a search for a rural environment. The exurban rural dream is a residential landscape in close proximity to environmental amenities such as open space. Spectorsky's argument was echoed by Leo Marx (1964), who emphasized the role of the rural ideal in shaping the patterns of U.S. landscape development. And Friedman and Miller (1965) argued that exurbia represented a new type of urban form, created by exurbanites motivated by the desire to enact long-standing beliefs in the efficacy of rural landscapes.

The notion that exurbia represents a new settlement form is a controversial one. Thus, much of exurban research attempts to discover whether exurbia represents a “clean break” from previous settlement patterns or whether exurban development is simply suburban development, albeit in a low-density format.

In an effort to discover whether exurbanites are motivated by a different set of residential preferences, Crump (2003) compared the motivations of suburban and exurban residents and found that there are significant differences between the two groups. For example, exurbanites place a significantly greater value on rural characteristics such as open space, while suburban residents express a greater desire for access to transportation and shopping.

In contrast to these findings, other studies find that exurbanites are really no different from suburban residents. Nelson and Sanchez (1999) found that there is little or no evidence to support the “clean-break” hypothesis. Instead, their findings indicate that there is little difference between suburban and exurban residents.

Beyond issues of residential preference, economic factors clearly help fuel exurban development. In particular, the decentralization of employment helps drive exurban growth. Also, the expansion of so-called edge cities, with their large employment nodes and retail centers, is reflective of the growth of employment at the edge of metropolitan regions.

In addition to the decentralization of employment, exurban growth likely reflects the rising cost of housing in an era of income stagnation for many households. Berube, Singer, Wilson, and Frey (2006) found that many exurbanites are trading lower housing costs for longer commute times. This “drive to qualify” allowed exurbanites to purchase homes that they otherwise could not afford in more expensive suburban locations.

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