Sunday, June 03, 2007

The Accelerating Curve into the Future

To refresh this blog, click here: http://www.newherbanism.blogspot.com/

Take a look at this curve.

It comes to us from a very interesting site: http://www.hybridcars.com



Source: http://www.hybridcars.com/hybrid-drivers/hybrid-market-forecasts.html

It represents projected demand for hybrid cars. But it could also represent a lot of other things . . . .

The price of gasoline?

Computer processing power?

Demand for higher density, walkable, mixed-use new traditional neighborhoods?

Consider this from the Congress for the New Urbanism:

The growing demand will be the result of changing demographics, changing tastes, and the closing of the suburban frontier. Americans are getting older, and fewer households have children. Both of these demographic trends contribute to growing demand for more varied housing choices. Many Americans’ tastes are moving more toward dense environments, as shown by the growth of “cafĂ© culture,” an attraction to ethnic diversity, and a strong attraction toward good urbanism among upper-middle class trendsetters. Perhaps most importantly, in many regions, car-dependent suburbs have never looked less attractive. In economically strong regions, suburban traffic is increasing unbearably while valued open space is converted inexorably into more suburban sprawl. In other regions, housing values are stagnating. Nationwide, older suburbs are experiencing disinvestment similar to the “white flight” of the 1950s.

Source: http://www.cnu.org/sites/files/Coming_Demand.pdf

Yes, a lot of things will be changing at a very rapid rate, and mostly because they have to.

Yours for keeping ahead of the curve,

Herb

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