Located just northeast of the Bronx, New Rochelle, N.Y., was once sleepy, boring, and residential, much like many suburbs in the U.S. In December, though, the town broke ground on a $4 billion, 12 million-square foot redevelopment project that will attract people who want the best of both worlds: A New York City lifestyle in an affordable community.
Business Insider reports that urban planners, city officials, and developers are rethinking how they design suburbs, emphasizing density, walkability, and diversity. The line between urban and suburban isn’t as clear as it once was.
Other changing American suburbs include Palm Springs, Calif., and Lakewood, Colo.
Mayor Noam Bramson says New Rochelle's redevelopment was spurred both by residents' desire to live in a more urban 'burb as well as the financial viability it might bring to the town. "There will be plenty of millennials and those from the older generation who will still want the classic acre and picket fence," he says, "but there’s a shifting in the ratios."