Changing Settlement Patterns

Urban Land Institute Senior Resident Fellow Maureen McAvey says that over the past decade, the shape of metropolitan areas evolved from the old “hub and spoke” system, in which all the outlying areas were dependent on the core employment center, to a diverse “ring system” with numerous dispersed commercial and retail hubs following housing out to the outer rim.

McAvey cites strengths and weaknesses of each area:

* Downtown core and first-ring—Strengths: prime location; strong job base; ample supply of existing housing (although generally not affordable); proximity to transit options; ample parks and cultural facilities. Weaknesses: infill development often difficult and slow; land assembly difficult; fractured local leadership; tax base often eroding; pressing social needs, such as homelessness; public education perceived as poor quality.

* Middle-ring—Strengths: tendency to have more affordable housing; plentiful character and sense of community among residents; ethnically diverse. Weaknesses: limited mix of land uses; limited tax base.

* Outer-ring—Strengths: Largest supply of affordable housing within the urban area; new, high-quality new schools; ample recreational amenities such as golf courses; perception of safety; perception of residents having close ties to local government; less cumbersome development process. Weaknesses: Edgeless, devoid of gathering places and sense of community; pandemic retail and island office development completely dependent on auto access; virtually no transit options; pedestrian-unfriendly; unsustainable low-density development pattern.

Source: Urban Land Institute.