Recently I have been acting as research assistant for my husband. He is in the process of writing a book about why cities are segregated. Anyway, I started thinking about the meaning of the term "Exurb". I guess I should since I used it as the title and part of the url for this blog. I recall reading Edge City by Joel Garreau back in the early 1990s just because I wanted to read it. My undergraduate study was in urban planning and this book had not yet become part of the required reading - if it is not, then it should be! But that is just my opinion. If I recall correctly, Garreau mentioned the term exurb. I am intrigued to observe how suburbs, in addition to urban areas, will evolve over the next 10 years.
Another reason I have been contemplating exurbs must be my experience in Paris several weeks ago when we went to La Defense. This place is at the end of one of the major rail lines. As you are riding up the escalator to the plaza, the entire scene is just so surreal. Once you reach the top, you can not help but notice the extremely odd shaped arch - actually it is an office building with monumental stairs leading up to it. Concrete is everywhere - like a suburban wasteland. On the other side of La Defense is an interesting cemetary that does not look like a cemetary. At first glance it resembles some sort of maze or large scale park, which is what cemetaries were originally. It is closed in by a highway and highrises and you can look down into it. Another strange feature of the area is a pedestrian bridge that goes to nowhere. This bridge is surrounded by cement spaces that are just there. No thought behind why these spaces exist.
Honestly, surreal is the only word to describe this place.
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