How growth and sprawl affect the quality of life in New England, and some…
The New Metropolis - Cracks in the Pavement
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
America's 'first' suburbs, those suburban communities built next to America's urban centers, were once the birthplace of the American Dream. Driven by a desire to escape the smokestacks of the central cities, and a housing shortage following World War II, thousands of suburban homes were rapidly constructed and middle class families flocked to fill them.
Sixty years later, many of these original suburbs are facing a crisis: a dwindling tax base, population and business loss, decaying infrastructure, increased racial tensions and white flight. Lacking policies to help reverse these trends, many towns are looking for strategies for revitalization.
Two new half-hour documentaries use compelling, personal stories to highlight these important issues. A Crack In The Pavement , narrated by Peter Coyote, features two first suburban officials struggling to fix their crumbling infrastructure and argues for regional cooperation. The New Neighbors, narrated by Ruby Dee, tells the inspiring story of two ordinary people, one black and one white, who have successfully made racial integration the centerpiece of revitalizing Pennsauken, NJ.
'This remarkable documentary series by award-winning filmmaker Andrea Torrice is suitable for academic, public education, and community organizing use. It takes us inside the older, inner ring suburban communities, often overlooked by policy makers, and special interest groups, as a key to building healthy cities, suburbs, and sustainable regions.' Carl Anthony, Founder, Earth House Center
'All communities, old and new, will find the challenges and opportunities raised in these films informative and useful.' Rob Puentes, Metropolitan Policy Program, Brookings Institution
'[The New Neighbors] is a fascinating story of one particular place that embodies a wider national phenomenon and a deeper truth - that community organization can shape a neighborhood for the better and for the common good...A Crack in the Pavement recounts the problems and shows how a coalition of first suburbs in Ohio are now trying to halt the drift to the distant suburbs and reclaim public policies interest and investment. Compelling arguments are made for regional growth policies and land use planning...[The New Metropolis] as a whole provides a detailed account of the rise of first suburbs, their problems of current decline and imaginative attempts to make them viable, livable, and sociable. A must see for those interested in urban issues.' John Rennie Short, Professor of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Author, Alabaster Cities, Cities and Nature and New Metropolitan Realities (forthcoming)
'A Crack in the Pavement is a masterful documentary that raises the visibility of the issues facing first suburbs today. It convincingly puts a name and face to the real problems of suburban decline such as population loss, infrastructure decay, and fiscal stress. We see that the harmful consequences of uncontrolled suburban sprawl impact central cities and first suburbs. A Crack in the Pavement is a call to action and should be viewed by all federal, state, and local policymakers with an interest in the future of sustainability and American communities. This will be a great resource for students and faculty of urban and public affairs for years to come.
The New Neighbors is essential viewing for anyone who cares about the future of American communities. This important documentary details the role that stable racial integration plays in combating suburban decline and sprawl. The story of Pennsauken, New Jersey--masterfully told in The New Neighbors--serves as a national model for suburban renewal. Highly recommended.' Dr. Thomas Vicino, Department of Political Science, Northeastern University, Author, Transforming Race and Class in Suburbia
'These concise, touching films are just perfect for the history, sociology, politics, or social policy classroom.' Matthew Lasar, History and Politics, UCSC
'The New Neighbors really resonated with me. I saw the strengths and challenges of my own community in the film, and was surprised to learn that such important work was being done.' Frank De Lucca, Mayor, Linwood, NJ
'The New Neighbors [is an] excellent case study that explores how the dream of integration can become a reality and how residents themselves were able to fight sprawl and the decline of the first suburbs. This documentary is a powerful example of effective citizen action in addressing one of the more serious problems facing urban America. A Crack in the Pavement [provides] a good introduction to the problems facing the first suburbs and the policy decisions that have caused sprawl and the resulting impact on these communities. [The film] portrays vividly the impact of urban sprawl that local officials must deal with and why this is an issue that we should all pay more attention to.' Philip Star, Executive in Residence, College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, co-Editor, Revitalizing Urban Neighborhoods
'Both mini-documentaries show the impact of regional coalitions and the benefits of working together for change. For urban-studies college classes and community groups.' Carol Holzberg, Booklist
'Both [short films] make clear that government policies that once fueled the growth of these suburbs have now put them in jeopardy. They also raise questions about urban sprawl...These documentaries would work very well in the classroom...The voices we hear are those of community leaders and, in the second film, citizens who care enough about their town to get involved. They sound like people we know, and we can easily understand the problems they face...Faculty from various departments may find one or both [films] to be useful supplements to class readings.' Sandy River, Texas Tech University, Educational Media Reviews Online
'Both programs would appeal to urban and regional planners and students, as well as others interested in city issues.' Library Journal
'With The New Metropolis, Torrice sheds light on the once-perfect idea of American suburbia, showing how it is crumbling before our eyes and challenging viewers to step up and save the suburbs before it's too late.' Thomas Celona, Montgomery News
'A lot of America is falling down, and new ideas and new energy are needed to fix it...[The New Metropolis] is precisely the sort of thing that belongs in the public TV repertoire, virtually the only place where TV can shine the light on obscure but fundamental issues of American society.' Jonathan Storm, Television Critic, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Citation
Main credits
Basen, Gwynne (Director)
Fukushima, Michael (Producer)
Churchill, Jane (Director)
Other credits
Directed by Jane Churchill and Gwynne Basen; produced by Michael Fukushima.
Distributor subjects
Activism; African-American Studies; American Studies; Anthropology; Community; Economics; Geography; Government; History; Humanities; Land Use; Local Economies; Multicultural Studies; Public Policy; Race and Racism; Sociology; Sprawl; Sustainable Development; Urban Studies; Urban and Regional PlanningKeywords
WEBVTT
00:00:00.567 --> 00:00:02.000
- [singing]
Life could be a dream.
00:00:02.033 --> 00:00:03.900
Life could be a dream.
00:00:03.933 --> 00:00:07.100
Do-do-do-do, sha-boom.
00:00:07.133 --> 00:00:09.533
Life could be a dream.
00:00:09.567 --> 00:00:11.033
Male narrator:
They sprang up,
00:00:11.067 --> 00:00:14.000
surrounding America\'s bustling,
crowded cities,
00:00:14.033 --> 00:00:18.500
yet were far enough away
to offer open space and fresh air.
00:00:18.533 --> 00:00:21.567
They were the first suburbs.
00:00:25.300 --> 00:00:29.267
- If you could live in a first suburb,
you had made it.
00:00:29.300 --> 00:00:32.133
Where you had your own little
piece of paradise,
00:00:32.167 --> 00:00:33.367
your own little yard,
00:00:33.400 --> 00:00:35.367
little house that you could take care of.
00:00:35.400 --> 00:00:38.567
That was the American dream.
00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:40.567
- [singing]
Whoa, life could be a dream.
00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:43.133
Life could be a dream.
00:00:43.167 --> 00:00:48.767
Do-do-do-do, sha-boom.
00:00:59.367 --> 00:01:06.467
Narrator: Now these original suburbs
find themselves threatened.
00:01:06.500 --> 00:01:09.933
- People, I don\'t think, ever believed
that the suburban communities
00:01:09.967 --> 00:01:13.700
would face the same kinds
of problems as the core city.
00:01:13.733 --> 00:01:16.567
And now the first suburb cities
are facing those problems.
00:01:16.600 --> 00:01:20.033
They\'re facing
the abandonment of housing.
00:01:20.067 --> 00:01:22.833
They\'re facing the loss
of commercial tax base.
00:01:22.867 --> 00:01:27.200
They\'re facing the loss
of population.
00:01:27.233 --> 00:01:29.833
Narrator: They are struggling
to find the cash to repair
00:01:29.867 --> 00:01:33.533
their broken and aging infrastructure.
00:01:33.567 --> 00:01:34.867
- They run all the resources out,
00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:38.033
not realizing that the towns
that were being left
00:01:38.067 --> 00:01:40.467
are going to suffer and die.
00:01:40.500 --> 00:01:43.467
You\'ve got one community after another
fallen by the wayside.
00:01:43.500 --> 00:01:45.667
I\'m fearful for what I see.
00:01:45.700 --> 00:01:49.133
Narrator: The same government polices
of outward expansion
00:01:49.167 --> 00:01:54.200
that helped build the first suburbs
are undermining them today.
00:01:54.233 --> 00:01:58.133
- So we\'re on the edge of rethinking
what the American dream means.
00:01:58.167 --> 00:02:01.467
And I think first suburbs
and their challenges
00:02:01.500 --> 00:02:06.400
are evidence
of a crack in the pavement.
00:02:10.267 --> 00:02:12.967
Narrator: This is the story
of two suburban towns
00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:16.333
that began to rebuild themselves.
00:02:16.367 --> 00:02:20.400
By working together to create
regional balanced-growth policies,
00:02:20.433 --> 00:02:24.600
they\'re ensuring a better future
for all communities.
00:02:44.133 --> 00:02:50.567
- First suburbs were built primarily
from 1900 to about 1960.
00:02:50.600 --> 00:02:51.667
They were the middle class,
00:02:51.700 --> 00:02:54.467
the beginning of the middle class
in America.
00:02:54.500 --> 00:02:57.033
They were getting out of the cities
00:02:57.067 --> 00:03:00.267
to live in their own
little patch of paradise.
00:03:00.300 --> 00:03:02.333
This country called America
00:03:02.367 --> 00:03:07.167
was really becoming a place of prosperity,
a place of plenty,
00:03:07.200 --> 00:03:12.867
and the first suburbs embodied
that plenty and that wealth.
00:03:14.700 --> 00:03:18.767
Narrator: First suburbs really took off
after World War II.
00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:22.533
Returning vets, their brides,
and the resulting baby boom
00:03:22.567 --> 00:03:25.467
prompted President Eisenhower
to launch a range
00:03:25.500 --> 00:03:28.533
of federal housing
and transportation programs
00:03:28.567 --> 00:03:30.267
to help the country grow.
00:03:30.300 --> 00:03:31.633
[applause]
00:03:31.667 --> 00:03:34.300
- The highway construction program
initiated by Ike
00:03:34.333 --> 00:03:37.267
is the biggest peacetime enterprise
ever undertaken.
00:03:37.300 --> 00:03:40.000
It will cost tens of billions.
00:03:43.533 --> 00:03:46.133
- Well, in 1956,
the United States enacted
00:03:46.167 --> 00:03:51.000
the Interstate Highway Act
to hook up the nation.
00:03:51.033 --> 00:03:54.900
The expansion of highways
really set the skeleton
00:03:54.933 --> 00:03:57.100
for many metropolitan areas
in the United States
00:03:57.133 --> 00:04:02.433
and helped precipitate really
a massive suburbanization in the country.
00:04:02.600 --> 00:04:06.000
- More than a million persons each year
00:04:06.033 --> 00:04:09.167
have pulled up stakes in the cities
and turned commuter,
00:04:09.200 --> 00:04:13.067
traveling 20, 30, 40
or more miles each day
00:04:13.100 --> 00:04:17.733
from home to office,
factory or business, and back again.
00:04:17.767 --> 00:04:22.800
- The Eisenhower era promoted this concept
of government-supported growth.
00:04:22.833 --> 00:04:27.867
The federal government
was building roads, bridges,
00:04:27.900 --> 00:04:31.100
schools, municipal buildings,
00:04:31.133 --> 00:04:36.367
really, everything that
a community needed to thrive.
00:04:36.400 --> 00:04:41.233
In fact, this is why the first suburbs
were called American Dream Towns.
00:04:44.467 --> 00:04:47.400
Narrator: It was the success
of these dream towns
00:04:47.433 --> 00:04:49.900
that set the stage
for government policies
00:04:49.933 --> 00:04:53.633
that would continue to promote
suburban expansion
00:04:53.667 --> 00:04:56.433
for the next 50 years.
00:05:00.100 --> 00:05:03.367
[patriotic marching music]
00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:12.800
Madeira, Ohio,
outside of Cincinnati,
00:05:12.833 --> 00:05:19.200
was one of those original suburbs
that prospered during the 1950s and \'60s.
00:05:19.233 --> 00:05:23.533
Today residents still consider it
their dream town,
00:05:23.567 --> 00:05:26.900
as does their city manager,
Tom Moeller.
00:05:26.933 --> 00:05:27.933
- Hey, guys.
00:05:27.967 --> 00:05:31.267
One of things I like most
about being city manager
00:05:31.300 --> 00:05:37.133
is the fact that I have a positive impact
on the lives of almost 9,000 people.
00:05:37.167 --> 00:05:40.600
I get a great deal of satisfaction
out of resurfacing a street,
00:05:40.633 --> 00:05:42.200
rehabbing a park,
00:05:42.233 --> 00:05:45.300
or making certain
that the quality of services
00:05:45.333 --> 00:05:47.100
that they receive is there.
00:05:47.133 --> 00:05:50.133
[fireworks exploding]
00:05:53.300 --> 00:05:56.400
Madeira is very much
a family-oriented community.
00:05:56.433 --> 00:06:01.533
It\'s known for its great school system
and very high quality of life.
00:06:01.567 --> 00:06:05.933
[crowd cheering]
00:06:05.967 --> 00:06:08.833
It\'s a classic first suburbs community.
00:06:08.867 --> 00:06:11.133
We had a lot of development
immediately after World War II
00:06:11.167 --> 00:06:14.467
in the late 1940s and 1950s.
00:06:14.500 --> 00:06:18.800
Much of the development was subsidized
by the federal government,
00:06:18.833 --> 00:06:23.300
and those development funds went to build
virtually all of the infrastructure:
00:06:23.333 --> 00:06:27.400
roads, sewers, water lines,
schools, culverts,
00:06:27.433 --> 00:06:30.500
anything that was associated
with public infrastructure
00:06:30.533 --> 00:06:33.800
was done
with those development dollars.
00:06:33.833 --> 00:06:37.300
The funding that was available
back in the 1950s and 1960s
00:06:37.333 --> 00:06:39.067
from both the state
and federal government
00:06:39.100 --> 00:06:41.100
is no longer available today.
00:06:41.133 --> 00:06:47.300
We generate approximately
$5 million a year in revenue.
00:06:47.333 --> 00:06:50.967
Most of that money goes toward
providing services:
00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:55.533
police, fire, parks, snow removal,
waste collection,
00:06:55.567 --> 00:07:02.200
all of the things that people expect
on a day-to-day basis.
00:07:02.233 --> 00:07:04.833
Recently,
city council increased taxes
00:07:04.867 --> 00:07:07.233
in order to pay for
some of the infrastructure projects
00:07:07.267 --> 00:07:08.767
that we have facing us.
00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:12.400
Obviously, that wasn\'t
a very popular decision with the community,
00:07:12.433 --> 00:07:14.333
but it was something
that had to be done,
00:07:14.367 --> 00:07:17.200
because they also did not
want us to reduce
00:07:17.233 --> 00:07:19.167
the amount of the services
that we are providing.
00:07:21.200 --> 00:07:24.033
Narrator: First suburbs like Madeira
are finding out
00:07:24.067 --> 00:07:28.700
that the roads and sewers laid down
years ago with government support
00:07:28.733 --> 00:07:32.967
are worn out and need to be repaired.
00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:34.600
- So where is this going to take us, Tom?
00:07:34.633 --> 00:07:41.100
- This is a very large storm water culvert
that drains about 2/3 of Madeira.
00:07:41.133 --> 00:07:44.167
See, there\'s a lot of damage up here,
some damage occurring up here.
00:07:44.200 --> 00:07:46.800
This is where it\'s starting to seep,
and that seam is going to go.
00:07:46.833 --> 00:07:48.100
While it seems to be minor,
00:07:48.133 --> 00:07:51.533
it shows some slippage
between the sections of a pipe.
00:07:51.567 --> 00:07:53.867
There\'s actually a lot more damage
in the front.
00:07:53.900 --> 00:07:56.500
But the potential is,
in a heavy storm that these sections
00:07:56.533 --> 00:07:58.500
will actually separate and collapse.
00:07:58.533 --> 00:08:01.067
We\'ve seen that happen in another areas.
00:08:01.100 --> 00:08:04.033
With the volume of water
that comes through here,
00:08:04.067 --> 00:08:06.267
we could lose this section very easily.
00:08:06.300 --> 00:08:07.933
And then what happens is that
00:08:07.967 --> 00:08:09.867
we get a very significant
flooding condition,
00:08:09.900 --> 00:08:11.767
which would have an impact
on the roadway,
00:08:11.800 --> 00:08:13.467
an impact on downstream properties,
00:08:13.500 --> 00:08:16.067
and potentially an impact
on upstream properties.
00:08:16.100 --> 00:08:17.967
[water sloshing]
00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:20.567
- So, Tom, what is it gonna cost
to replace this?
00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:23.867
- Well, we\'re looking at between
$1/2 million and $1 million.
00:08:25.533 --> 00:08:29.333
Narrator: Tom delivers the bad news
to the city council.
00:08:29.367 --> 00:08:32.900
- We\'re looking at a couple of projects
down on Camargo Road
00:08:32.933 --> 00:08:38.100
that are going to hit us here
in probably the next three or four years.
00:08:38.133 --> 00:08:42.967
The first project is
the stabilization wall on Camargo Road.
00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:45.200
And that wall\'s going to give way
at some point.
00:08:45.233 --> 00:08:47.333
The other project is,
there\'s a very large culvert
00:08:47.367 --> 00:08:49.300
that will have to be relined.
00:08:49.333 --> 00:08:52.733
We did one section of the culvert about,
Rick, 15 years ago?
00:08:52.767 --> 00:08:53.767
- Yeah.
00:08:53.800 --> 00:08:54.800
- About that?
00:08:54.833 --> 00:08:57.033
- It was $600,000.
00:08:59.433 --> 00:09:00.900
- We\'re actually seeing less money.
00:09:00.933 --> 00:09:03.933
To be honest with you, John,
it\'s only going to get worse.
00:09:09.533 --> 00:09:11.433
We have no idea
how we\'re going to fund it.
00:09:11.467 --> 00:09:13.333
We have no idea,
00:09:13.367 --> 00:09:18.033
unless we were to raise our tax rates
astronomically to cover those costs,
00:09:18.067 --> 00:09:19.300
and that\'s just not feasible.
00:09:19.333 --> 00:09:24.033
The moment we do that,
we drive more people out of town.
00:09:24.067 --> 00:09:28.733
- The cost of replacing infrastructure
is astronomical.
00:09:28.767 --> 00:09:34.967
It\'s way beyond the means
of even prosperous communities today.
00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:37.367
We have a policy vacuum.
00:09:37.400 --> 00:09:41.100
There are no government programs right now
00:09:41.133 --> 00:09:45.200
to help these middle-aged communities
rebuild themselves.
00:09:48.100 --> 00:09:50.867
- Madeira,
like most first suburbs communities,
00:09:50.900 --> 00:09:53.300
is losing population.
00:09:53.333 --> 00:09:57.433
As a result,
we lose tax revenue.
00:09:57.467 --> 00:10:00.867
There\'s a very vicious
downward spiral that takes place.
00:10:00.900 --> 00:10:03.867
We lose population.
00:10:03.900 --> 00:10:05.900
The tax rates have to go up.
00:10:05.933 --> 00:10:08.933
We drive out more population
because the tax rates go up.
00:10:08.967 --> 00:10:12.533
And also too,
Madeira doesn\'t become as attractive
00:10:12.567 --> 00:10:13.767
for commercial development,
00:10:13.800 --> 00:10:18.367
because commercial development
wants to follow where the population goes.
00:10:21.800 --> 00:10:25.500
At one time, the first suburbs
were the new American dream.
00:10:25.533 --> 00:10:28.167
And now we are not.
00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:29.833
That new American dream has moved
00:10:29.867 --> 00:10:34.200
10 or 15 miles outside
of the metropolitan area.
00:10:41.100 --> 00:10:44.300
Narrator: Just a few miles
farther out on the expressway,
00:10:44.333 --> 00:10:47.733
suburban towns are exploding
with new developments.
00:10:54.800 --> 00:10:58.167
Cheap and abundant farmland
and lower tax rates
00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:03.900
entice businesses and developers
to build in these communities.
00:11:03.933 --> 00:11:09.333
Long Cove, a deluxe development
in Mason, Ohio, is one of the latest.
00:11:09.367 --> 00:11:14.233
- Well, there\'s been a flight
from the urban areas
00:11:14.267 --> 00:11:16.500
to suburban areas over many years:
00:11:16.533 --> 00:11:23.500
congestion, often substandard schools,
pollution, crime levels.
00:11:23.533 --> 00:11:24.800
- It\'s gorgeous.
00:11:24.833 --> 00:11:28.400
- You get out into a suburban area,
you don\'t have those issues.
00:11:28.433 --> 00:11:29.900
And we\'re finding
more and more now
00:11:29.933 --> 00:11:33.333
people are looking
to have their cake and eat it too.
00:11:33.367 --> 00:11:34.800
- We love your floors.
00:11:34.833 --> 00:11:36.400
- Well, thank you.
- All of the floors.
00:11:36.433 --> 00:11:37.767
- Thank you.
- They are fabulous.
00:11:37.800 --> 00:11:42.500
- Well, this is the American dream home
on the high-end scale.
00:11:42.533 --> 00:11:47.167
- You have six nozzles above you,
another two on the wall here,
00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:48.667
his-and-her controls.
00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:50.200
- When this neighborhood\'s complete,
00:11:50.233 --> 00:11:53.300
it\'ll be one of the tourist attractions
in Cincinnati.
00:11:53.400 --> 00:11:55.600
- Yeah, you just push a button,
and the screen comes down.
00:11:55.633 --> 00:11:57.300
- We think Long Cove
00:11:57.333 --> 00:12:00.067
is a start of a new American dream
for many families.
00:12:02.800 --> 00:12:04.300
- A lot of new development
00:12:04.333 --> 00:12:08.633
on the fringe areas
of the metropolitan area is subsidized,
00:12:08.667 --> 00:12:12.333
generally for the construction
of roads and utilities,
00:12:12.367 --> 00:12:16.833
much in the same way as the development
of the first suburbs took place.
00:12:19.267 --> 00:12:23.633
So the property tax rates
and the other tax rates are actually lower,
00:12:23.667 --> 00:12:25.833
and it also is attractive for the people
00:12:25.867 --> 00:12:28.600
that are in the inner ring
or the first suburbs
00:12:28.633 --> 00:12:34.000
to move out to those areas
because it\'s less expensive.
00:12:41.800 --> 00:12:44.467
- In Ohio in the last decade,
00:12:44.500 --> 00:12:46.567
highway spending on rural areas
00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:52.200
exceeded the money spent
in suburban and urban areas by 46%.
00:12:52.233 --> 00:12:55.000
That includes new maint -
new infrastructure,
00:12:55.033 --> 00:12:58.433
maintenance, all of it.
00:12:58.467 --> 00:13:03.300
The policies in Ohio of the state DOT
and the Department of Development
00:13:03.333 --> 00:13:06.900
are all geared toward outward expansion.
00:13:08.100 --> 00:13:11.633
- We\'re seeing sprawl all over America.
00:13:11.667 --> 00:13:15.433
It\'s not just happening in the cities
that are growing fast.
00:13:15.467 --> 00:13:20.333
We also see the same thing in cities
that are actually losing population.
00:13:20.367 --> 00:13:23.533
Narrator: Cincinnati is an example.
00:13:23.567 --> 00:13:28.567
Its regional population
has barely changed since 1950,
00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:32.967
yet its developed land area
has tripled in size,
00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:39.067
turning Cincinnati into one of the most
sprawled regions in the country.
00:13:39.100 --> 00:13:42.433
- They\'re just simply moving population
from one area to another
00:13:42.467 --> 00:13:44.600
or development
from one area to another.
00:13:44.633 --> 00:13:48.467
And what do you do
with an abandoned community?
00:13:48.500 --> 00:13:51.500
[bell dinging, train whooshing]
00:13:53.700 --> 00:13:56.700
[train horn blares]
00:14:03.167 --> 00:14:07.800
narrator: Elmwood Place Village
is another first suburb of Cincinnati,
00:14:07.833 --> 00:14:10.133
not far from Madeira.
00:14:17.233 --> 00:14:22.633
It was once a vibrant trolley suburb
where working-class families lived.
00:14:26.600 --> 00:14:31.500
People started leaving in the 1970s
when the interstate highway was built
00:14:31.533 --> 00:14:35.867
and the trolleys were removed.
00:14:35.900 --> 00:14:37.100
- Shoppers used to say,
00:14:37.133 --> 00:14:39.733
\"If you can\'t find it in Elmwood,
you can\'t find it.\"
00:14:39.767 --> 00:14:44.300
We had over 100 stores that were
of all varieties, shapes, and sizes,
00:14:44.333 --> 00:14:47.833
and people used to come
from all over the valley to shop here.
00:14:47.867 --> 00:14:50.733
Of the hundred stores we had,
practically all of them are now closed.
00:14:50.767 --> 00:14:52.500
It\'s a very sad situation.
00:14:52.533 --> 00:14:55.133
But that\'s the situation we\'re in today.
00:14:57.667 --> 00:14:58.967
This is Linden street.
00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:02.367
This is the street I was born on,
lived here the first ten years of my life.
00:15:02.400 --> 00:15:08.867
Now it has about five empty houses.
00:15:08.900 --> 00:15:12.000
This house right here is where I was born.
00:15:12.033 --> 00:15:14.500
I was born right down here
in this front room.
00:15:14.533 --> 00:15:17.900
This is an empty house.
00:15:17.933 --> 00:15:19.900
It\'s tough.
It\'s tough.
00:15:19.933 --> 00:15:21.667
It makes me feel very, very sad.
00:15:28.933 --> 00:15:31.100
I think we\'re in worse shape
than a lot of communities.
00:15:31.133 --> 00:15:32.133
We really are.
00:15:32.167 --> 00:15:33.967
And when I talk
to these other mayors and that,
00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:36.767
they pretty much agree that, you know,
they\'re not in the shape we\'re in,
00:15:36.800 --> 00:15:38.733
\'cause when I tell them
some of our difficulties,
00:15:38.767 --> 00:15:41.967
they said, \"No, we don\'t have
the problems you have yet.\"
00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:46.667
But that\'s just a matter of time
to some of them.
00:16:07.100 --> 00:16:10.700
- The state seems to be
encouraging growth
00:16:10.733 --> 00:16:14.567
to the detriment
of the first suburbs communities.
00:16:14.600 --> 00:16:17.233
They\'re forgetting about the first suburbs
00:16:17.267 --> 00:16:21.100
and the fact that we need to maintain
our existing infrastructure.
00:16:25.900 --> 00:16:30.100
- It\'s very easy to receive funding
for new highways.
00:16:30.133 --> 00:16:32.800
It\'s quite difficult, however,
00:16:32.833 --> 00:16:36.167
to receive funding to repair
water and sewer systems
00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:39.400
that are perhaps now 75
or 100 years old
00:16:39.433 --> 00:16:44.700
or even to repair
the road infrastructure.
00:16:44.733 --> 00:16:46.767
We\'re not basically maintaining
00:16:46.800 --> 00:16:49.467
the prior investments
we\'ve already made in these places.
00:16:49.500 --> 00:16:51.467
We\'re just saying, \"Well, you know,
00:16:51.500 --> 00:16:55.167
we\'ll just write off
tens of billions of dollars.\"
00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:58.500
The other part of fiscal wastefulness
is obviously
00:16:58.533 --> 00:17:00.500
the excessive amount
of investment
00:17:00.533 --> 00:17:03.467
at the fringe of metropolitan areas,
00:17:03.500 --> 00:17:05.867
which in many parts of the country
just means
00:17:05.900 --> 00:17:09.667
that a mall in an older suburb
moves to a mall in a newer suburb.
00:17:09.700 --> 00:17:12.233
There\'s no net economic gain.
00:17:12.267 --> 00:17:15.533
And the newer suburb,
at least for 10 or 15 years,
00:17:15.567 --> 00:17:17.900
lives, you know, the good life.
00:17:17.933 --> 00:17:21.233
But ultimately, they\'ll be the victim.
00:17:33.633 --> 00:17:37.533
- Well, there are a lot of hidden costs
to this type of development
00:17:37.567 --> 00:17:41.433
that a lot of people don\'t see.
00:17:41.467 --> 00:17:44.000
As we\'re building these new communities,
00:17:44.033 --> 00:17:47.867
we\'re using more and more land
for fewer people.
00:17:47.900 --> 00:17:49.933
We\'re super-sizing.
00:17:49.967 --> 00:17:53.900
And what this does is,
it forces us to drive more.
00:17:53.933 --> 00:17:57.467
We\'re spreading
our air and water pollution further.
00:17:57.500 --> 00:18:02.200
We are destroying
more animal habitat.
00:18:02.233 --> 00:18:03.600
This is very serious
00:18:03.633 --> 00:18:07.133
because all of these things
are contributing to global warming.
00:18:13.167 --> 00:18:18.400
- Well, in Ohio, we consume
47 acres of farmland a day,
00:18:18.433 --> 00:18:21.900
and this is some of the best farmland
on the planet.
00:18:21.933 --> 00:18:26.233
But what happens
when future generations
00:18:26.267 --> 00:18:30.867
need the land that we have put
houses and parking lots on
00:18:30.900 --> 00:18:34.233
for other things?
00:18:34.267 --> 00:18:36.033
And then we get into the issue of,
00:18:36.067 --> 00:18:40.433
how do we reinvest and reinvent
those places 50 years from now?
00:18:47.700 --> 00:18:51.867
- The only places in the country
that really are dealing at all with sprawl
00:18:51.900 --> 00:18:56.267
are places that have land use planning,
coordinated, multi-jurisdictional,
00:18:56.300 --> 00:18:59.367
state-passed land use planning.
00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:03.067
Narrator: Myron Orfield
analyzes the fiscal relationships
00:19:03.100 --> 00:19:07.233
between older and newer communities
across the country.
00:19:07.267 --> 00:19:11.367
His research found that tax policies
which promote sprawl
00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:17.033
often contribute to the economic decline
of older cities and suburbs.
00:19:17.067 --> 00:19:21.567
He thinks the country needs
new regional land use policies.
00:19:21.600 --> 00:19:23.933
Such policies could help communities
00:19:23.967 --> 00:19:28.400
plan their future growth
and infrastructure needs together.
00:19:28.433 --> 00:19:31.000
- The way that regions decide
to spend money
00:19:31.033 --> 00:19:34.167
is usually to facilitate
the outward growth of regions.
00:19:34.200 --> 00:19:36.633
It doesn\'t have to be that way,
but it frequently is.
00:19:36.667 --> 00:19:41.967
Narrator: Few places in the country
practice regional planning or governance.
00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:44.833
But Orfield predicts
that as the country grows,
00:19:44.867 --> 00:19:48.167
more and more communities
will need to collaborate
00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:52.467
to protect their environment
and economic prosperity.
00:19:52.500 --> 00:19:57.533
- You can really see the region
becoming more polarized.
00:19:57.567 --> 00:20:00.500
Narrator: The Twin Cities of Minnesota
use a regional model
00:20:00.533 --> 00:20:02.867
which has had some success,
00:20:02.900 --> 00:20:07.867
and their cities and first suburbs
are being revitalized.
00:20:07.900 --> 00:20:12.200
- Minneapolis and St. Paul set out
a system of land use planning
00:20:12.233 --> 00:20:16.133
to coordinate the development
of the cities and the suburbs.
00:20:16.167 --> 00:20:20.600
And they unified regional sewer planning
and regional transit planning
00:20:20.633 --> 00:20:24.233
and regional land use planning
in one agency.
00:20:24.267 --> 00:20:27.633
Rebuilding the existing communities,
reusing existing communities,
00:20:27.667 --> 00:20:30.033
fixing and maintaining
old infrastructure,
00:20:30.067 --> 00:20:31.733
keeping communities viable
00:20:31.767 --> 00:20:35.333
saved us $27 billion
in infrastructure costs.
00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:41.267
Minneapolis is unique
00:20:41.300 --> 00:20:44.200
because it\'s used
its federal transportation money
00:20:44.233 --> 00:20:46.467
to rebuild a major part
of the central cities
00:20:46.500 --> 00:20:49.000
and the older suburbs.
00:20:49.033 --> 00:20:52.100
Regional transit
and things like light rail
00:20:52.133 --> 00:20:53.467
coordinated with a bus system
00:20:53.500 --> 00:20:57.467
is very, very important
in containing sprawl.
00:20:57.500 --> 00:21:00.900
It creates a vital focus of redevelopment.
00:21:00.933 --> 00:21:04.100
And this is something that any region
in the country could do.
00:21:04.133 --> 00:21:07.433
The flexibility is available
with federal funds.
00:21:07.467 --> 00:21:09.133
You just have to get the political strength
00:21:09.167 --> 00:21:12.400
to use the funds to rebuild the city
and the older suburbs
00:21:12.433 --> 00:21:15.633
rather than to build new highways
at the edge.
00:21:15.667 --> 00:21:17.333
- And then we\'re stuck,
the communities -
00:21:17.367 --> 00:21:20.767
narrator: Inspired by the success
of the Twin Cities model,
00:21:20.800 --> 00:21:26.567
Tom and Richard decide to take action
to save their struggling communities.
00:21:26.600 --> 00:21:28.867
They join with other
first suburban officials
00:21:28.900 --> 00:21:30.567
from around the state
00:21:30.600 --> 00:21:33.933
and make a plan
to take to the legislature.
00:21:33.967 --> 00:21:35.567
- They\'re writing the state budget now.
00:21:35.600 --> 00:21:37.433
They\'re setting the priorities now,
00:21:37.467 --> 00:21:41.000
so November will definitely
not be too late for us to get in
00:21:41.033 --> 00:21:43.900
our thoughts about what we want
and put our agenda forward
00:21:43.933 --> 00:21:45.567
in front of the newly elected -
00:21:45.600 --> 00:21:48.567
- One of the things that could benefit
first suburbs communities
00:21:48.600 --> 00:21:51.700
is having a balanced growth policy
for the region.
00:21:51.733 --> 00:21:53.033
- So that it favored -
00:21:53.067 --> 00:21:56.300
- If we can somehow develop
that balanced growth policy
00:21:56.333 --> 00:22:01.200
and rejuvenate, revitalize,
the first suburbs communities,
00:22:01.233 --> 00:22:04.467
the entire region
will benefit as a result.
00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:10.267
Narrator: Regional planning begins
at the state level.
00:22:10.300 --> 00:22:13.600
A delegation of the group
goes to the state capitol
00:22:13.633 --> 00:22:18.400
to convince lawmakers
that policy change is needed.
00:22:18.433 --> 00:22:22.267
They find that their task
is not an easy one.
00:22:24.567 --> 00:22:27.533
- Senator, one of the problems
that we as a community have
00:22:27.567 --> 00:22:29.233
is maintaining our infrastructure
00:22:29.267 --> 00:22:32.033
and having sufficient tax base
to maintain it.
00:22:32.067 --> 00:22:34.167
Money is being spent
out in growth areas,
00:22:34.200 --> 00:22:36.700
and the maintenance
of our existing infrastructure
00:22:36.733 --> 00:22:37.733
is being left behind.
00:22:37.767 --> 00:22:39.700
- Help me understand why you think
00:22:39.733 --> 00:22:45.867
it\'s more important to do the fix it first
when areas like Dublin, frankly,
00:22:45.900 --> 00:22:49.400
are generating a lot of economic activity
and creating a lot of jobs.
00:22:49.433 --> 00:22:54.433
They\'re places you might call sprawl,
but frankly, you know, I see jobs there.
00:22:54.467 --> 00:22:57.200
And I think there\'s a lot of
economic growth going on there.
00:22:57.233 --> 00:22:59.067
- Why should we supplement areas,
00:22:59.100 --> 00:23:02.200
as you have said yourself,
that are growing and doing well?
00:23:02.233 --> 00:23:05.233
- If there\'s economic development
out in the sprawl areas,
00:23:05.267 --> 00:23:06.733
let them pay for it.
00:23:06.767 --> 00:23:10.267
Why should we the taxpayers
be paying all this money
00:23:10.300 --> 00:23:13.733
into a pool of money,
and it just keeps going further out?
00:23:13.767 --> 00:23:15.533
- We\'re looking for a balance.
00:23:15.567 --> 00:23:19.800
It\'s not so much taking away from others
or us versus them,
00:23:19.833 --> 00:23:21.433
but we\'re looking for a balance.
00:23:21.467 --> 00:23:25.267
We are very much concerned
that we\'re not going to have
00:23:25.300 --> 00:23:27.700
the tax base or the funding
available to us
00:23:27.733 --> 00:23:29.067
to maintain our infrastructure.
00:23:29.100 --> 00:23:30.100
- Sure.
00:23:30.133 --> 00:23:32.567
- We\'re seeing an awful lot
of state transportation dollars
00:23:32.600 --> 00:23:34.433
being used to build new roads
00:23:34.467 --> 00:23:37.333
as opposed to assisting
with infrastructure problems
00:23:37.367 --> 00:23:39.700
that we have
in these smaller communities.
00:23:39.733 --> 00:23:41.967
- We\'re looking to build
some new coalitions
00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:44.433
and really think regionally
on how we deliver services,
00:23:44.467 --> 00:23:46.867
a very sensitive issue when you
go many to local governments
00:23:46.900 --> 00:23:49.600
and deliver that message
because I\'ve been doing that for 20 years.
00:23:49.633 --> 00:23:51.633
- The further out we build tomorrow,
00:23:51.667 --> 00:23:54.967
those places will be the first suburbs
and deal with the same infrastructures
00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:56.667
that the first suburbs are dealing with,
00:23:56.700 --> 00:24:00.567
so it\'s gonna be a perpetuation
of all these difficulties.
00:24:00.600 --> 00:24:03.500
That\'s why its important
that we address them now.
00:24:06.767 --> 00:24:08.967
- This is just the first part of our job.
00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:10.367
We need to go home now
00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:14.200
and to continue to communicate
with our representatives
00:24:14.233 --> 00:24:17.867
and other people who have
some impact on this situation
00:24:17.900 --> 00:24:19.067
and keep the pressure on.
00:24:19.100 --> 00:24:20.733
- It\'s gonna be a tough battle,
00:24:20.767 --> 00:24:25.200
but it\'s something that we can -
we can fight if we keep at it.
00:24:25.233 --> 00:24:27.767
And it\'s something that all communities
all around the country
00:24:27.800 --> 00:24:29.467
are going to have to fight eventually.
00:24:31.633 --> 00:24:36.233
- We have regions that are sprawling off
into the farmland, growing apart.
00:24:36.267 --> 00:24:38.533
We have to grow together.
00:24:38.567 --> 00:24:39.733
- Fix it first.
00:24:39.767 --> 00:24:42.067
Reinvest.
00:24:42.100 --> 00:24:45.467
Make reinvestment a priority
in these older communities
00:24:45.500 --> 00:24:49.167
because that\'s the competitively
and fiscally responsible thing to do.
00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:55.800
- We need a vision that will include
old and new communities.
00:24:55.833 --> 00:25:01.700
We need a new American dream
for the 21st century.
00:25:01.733 --> 00:25:04.500
- [singing]
Oh, life could be a dream.
00:25:04.533 --> 00:25:06.500
Sha-boom,
if I could take you up
00:25:06.533 --> 00:25:07.867
to paradise up above,
00:25:07.900 --> 00:25:09.567
sha-boom
and tell me, darling,
00:25:09.600 --> 00:25:11.567
I\'m the only one that you love,
00:25:11.600 --> 00:25:13.433
then life could be a dream,
00:25:13.467 --> 00:25:14.867
sweetheart, hello, hello again.
00:25:14.900 --> 00:25:16.333
Sha-boom,
and hope we meet again.
00:25:16.367 --> 00:25:17.367
Boom-ba-boom.
00:25:17.400 --> 00:25:23.967
[man scatting]
00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:25.467
Life could be a dream.
00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:27.667
Life could be a dream.
00:25:27.700 --> 00:25:33.033
Do-do-do-do, sha-boom.
00:25:34.967 --> 00:25:38.967
[stirring piano and strings music]
00:26:06.133 --> 00:26:08.000
narrator: This program
has been made possible
00:26:08.033 --> 00:26:13.067
through the generous support
of the Ford Foundation,
00:26:13.100 --> 00:26:18.200
with additional support
from the Surdna Foundation,
00:26:18.233 --> 00:26:21.133
and the George Gund Foundation.
Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Length: 26 minutes
Date: 2009
Genre: Expository
Language: English
Grade: 7-12, College, Adult
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
Existing customers, please log in to view this film.
New to Docuseek? Register to request a quote.
Related Films
Suburban sprawl: causes and remedies.
Looks at the impact on a small town when Wal-Mart plans to build a mega-store…