Boomburb downtowns: The next generation of urban centers

A new trend is emerging in rapidly growing suburbs, or “boomburbs.” While boomburbs are primarily still suburban in look and feel, some are beginning to develop downtowns and other quasi-urban centers. As the nation's preeminent urbanizing suburbs, boomburbs have enormous potential. Based on site visits and a review of existing plans provided, this article develops a boomburb downtown typology using a criterion of a center's scale (large or small), setting (infill or greenfield), and proximity to rail. The move toward more compact development in newly emerging centers of fast growing suburbs is a hopeful trend that should be encouraged and augmented. Urbanizing suburbs are one important key to remaking the American metropolis based on smart growth principles.