Retrofitting Suburbia

A guide, with multiple case studies, for redeveloping out-of-date suburban developments into more urban, sustainable placesThe last fifty years have been dominated by the reproduction of sprawl development patterns. The big project for the next fifty years will be retrofitting sprawl into sustainable places.Considerable attention has been paid to development in urban cores and new neighborhoods on the exurban periphery. But in between, the out-of-date and unsustainable developments in existing suburbs also provide enormous opportunities for regeneration. Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs is a comprehensive guidebook for architects, planners, urban designers, developers, and elected officials that illustrates how existing suburban developments can be redesigned into more urban and more sustainable places.Framing the larger arguments advocating this kind of suburban evolution, the authors-both architects and noted experts on the subject-show how development in existing suburbs can absorb new growth and evolve in relation to changed demographic, economic, and regional conditions. Beyond simply re-skinning buildings or changing use, the best suburban retrofits systemically transform their neighborhoods, increasing connectivity and walkability, while contributing to affordability, transit, and sustainability.Innovative case studies provide on-the-ground examples of successful attempts at:* Retrofitting regional malls, shopping centers, and office parks* Adaptive reuse of big box stores* Urbanizing residential subdivisions* Converting apartment complexes for new demographics* Transforming commercial strip corridorsAt once intelligent analysis, hands-on guide, and urgent call to action, Retrofitting Suburbia will open the way for architects and urban planners interested in sustainability and smart growth to recognize the opportunities in our oft-neglected suburban landscape.Cover photograph: Location, Kendall, Florida; photographer, Ellen Dunham-Jones