The author traces the rise and fall of American suburbia from the stately railroad suburbs of the early 19th and 20th centuries to current-day sprawling exurbs where residents spend as much as four hours each day commuting. She shows why suburbia was unsustainable from the start and explores the hundreds of new, alternative communities that are springing up around the country and promise to reshape our way of life for the better. Consider some of the forces at work : the nuclear family is no more, our marriage and birth rates are steadily declining, while the single-person households are on the rise. We want out of our cars: the hours long commutes forced on us by sprawl have become unaffordable for many. Meanwhile, today's younger generation has expressed a perplexing indifference toward cars and driving. Both shifts have fueled demand for denser, pedestrian-friendly communities. Blending powerful data with vivid on the ground reporting, Gallagher explains why understanding the shifts taking place is imperative to any discussion about the future of our housing landscape and of our society itself--and why that future will bring us stronger, healthier, happier and more diverse communities for everyone.--Publisher information.