How Suburban America Is Changing

Professors of Architecture Ellen Dunham-Jones and June Williamson have been tracking changes in suburban areas since the early 1990s. They put their observations in a series of books about retrofitting suburbia, hoping that they will serve both young architects and city planners who are looking for models to replicate in their own suburban areas. Their first book, Retrofitting Suburbia, was published in 2008 and updated in 2011. The pair’s second book—Case Studies in Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Strategies for Urgent Challenges, released in 2021—serves the starting point of an insightful conversation between the two authors and Commercial Property Executive Senior Editor Laura Calugar. In this special edition of our podcasts (a video version is available on YouTube), they dive into what is stimulating change in how and where people live, and discuss trends shaping suburban America.