subURBAN : redefining urban residential

Suburbia is being called home to an increasing number of people living in Western societies. In the United States, more people live in the suburbs than the cities they surround, and 75% of all new construction is taking place in the suburbs yet only 5% of these building are designed by architects (?The challenge of Suburbia,? 2004). The effects of suburbia?s stretch across the land has had a drastic affect on American society. Culturally, physically, and psychologically, the American people have developed a way of life that has become detrimental to themselves and their environment. Urban sprawl, also known as sprawl or suburban sprawl, has been correlated with increased energy use, pollution, traffic congestion, and oil dependency, as wells as a decline in community distinctiveness and cohesiveness (Urban sprawl, 2010). Yet, the people of America have lived this way for more than 50 years and many are blind to the implications that the suburban lifestyle has cost. Because the majority of American citizens are living in the suburbs, as architects and urban designers it is our duty to present a new and viable housing option to the public. Located in Minneapolis, I will present an mixed-use community which exhibits the desired traits of a suburban community and dwellings. This residential building presents one way to create an appealing atmosphere for current and future homeowners to live within an urban area where there are currently more options for public transportation, pedestrian movement and nearby job opportunities than that of a suburban area. The building will work as a catalyst for architecture and urban design theories which allow for the city to grow in a controlled organic environment so that desirable residential units can be integrated into the fabric of the city