Over the last half century, urban centers have been combating
the blessing and curse that is the automobile and freeway system.
While historically providing means and opportunity for people to
move themselves at high rates of speed over long distances, this
also meant people no longer had to live close to their area of
work. As a result, suburban sprawl gripped many American cities as
residents sought more and more land and freedom from the chaos of
city life.
This trend has changed in recent years, with city centers
experiencing a renaissance that has long been stifled by suburban
sprawl, fed by an ever growing freeway system. This gradual trend
of residents back towards big-city downtowns has been driven
largely by empty-nester baby boomers and newly graduated
millennials. These recovering suburbanites are starting to realize
the allure of walking outside their house to their local coffee
shop, bar, restaurant, and shopping district, without the need to
hop in
