Exurb

The expression "exurb" (for "extra-urban") was coined in the 1950s, by Auguste Comte Spectorsky in his book "The Exurbanites", to describe the ring of prosperous rural communities beyond the suburbs that, due to availability via the new high-speed limited-access highways, were becoming dormitory communities for an urban area. Commuters from early exurbs, such as the end of Philadelphia's Main Line and Upper Westchester County, New York, reached the city center via commuter rail and parkway systems.

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Today's exurbs comprise small neighborhoods in otherwise bucolic areas, towns, and (comparatively) small cities. Some lie in the outer suburbs of an urbanized area, but a few miles of rural, wooded, or agricultural land separates many exurbs from the suburbs. Exurbs that originated independently of the major city to which many residents commute may feature some cultural institutions or universities of their own. Others, by contrast, consist almost exclusively of commuters and lack the historical and cultural traditions of more established cities.

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In his book On Paradise Drive, David Brooks commented on the massive growth of American exurbs in the 1990s and early 2000s, and noted that these communities are now dependent on industries contained in office parks in the suburbs rather than in the city center, producing (and attracting) populations with no connection to urban city life. Brooks attributes the victory of George W. Bush in the 2004 election to votes from exurbs and states his belief that the Democratic Party failed in connecting with voters in exurbs.

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Many environmentalists, architects, and urban planners consider exurbs to be manifestations of poor or distorted planning. Extremely low densities - often featuring large lots and "McMansions" - create heavy car dependency {a very deliberate design choice}. This also makes the construction of municipal infrastructure and deployment of services unusually costly and inefficient. Such communities typically include big box stores and large shopping malls, but lack ammenities such as parks and cultural institutions. Nevertheless, relatively cheap land and low taxes fuel rapid economic and population growth in many exurbs. Middle class families with children are attracted to the ample space and low costs found in these areas.

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Exurbs are not unique to the United States — they are also found in other land-rich developed countries, notably Canada and Australia.

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Although not on the list of exurbs below, some communities that lie outside the city proper of a metropolitan area could also be considered exurbs, whereas those inside are often known as suburbs. Many suburban cities within Metropolitan Toronto enjoyed their greatest growth in the post World War II period and slowed down subsequently; extensive development is now (since the 1990s) occurring outside Metro Toronto (later City of Toronto). There have also been significant growth differences between inside and outside Metro; many developments typical of exurbs such as big box retailers lie on the outside. This could be due to Toronto suburbs being constrained by pro-urban inner-city politics while communities outside Toronto have far fewer restrictions on development.

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Not all exurbs are wealthy. Depending on local circumstances, some exurbs (like those found in Western Sydney or the Inland Empire east of Los Angeles) can demonstrate higher poverty levels than other "closer-in" suburbs of their respective metropolitan regions.

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Rural: Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. Such areas are distinct from more intensively settled urban and suburban areas, and also from unsettled lands such as outback or wilderness. People live in villages, on farms and in other isolated houses....

Communities: REDIRECT Community...

Suburb: :"Suburban" redirects here. For the sport utility vehicle (SUV), see Chevrolet Suburban....