ABSTRACT
The mobility challenges facing suburban America are immense. Suburban sprawl and the helter-skelter commuting it produces also pose serious threats to surrounding agricultural land, open spaces, watersheds, and other natural ecologies. Many suburbanites are beginning to realize the high price that goes with economic progress and rapid expansion. Many suburban policymakers find themselves in a quandary of sorts. On one hand, they want the expanded tax base that new businesses offer. On the other, they want to maintain a quiet, family-oriented place in which to live. Suburban employers also are finding it increasingly difficult to fill low-paid service and clerical jobs because few suburbanites are unemployed. It is important for both public and private suburban interests not to lose sight of the distributional consequences of the actions they take. Clearly, any serious assault on suburban gridlock must begin with careful, strategic planning of land uses with regional objectives in mind.
