180 Quote by Dolores Hayden
““Jobs and commerce have moved to edge nodes, but few people want to live in them. The presence of housing in edge nodes is often the result of spot builders filling in leftover sites with 'affordable' housing units. Nearby freeways make many of these units undesirable. Occasionally expensive apartments for households without children are added near upscale mall areas...but most affluent families prefer to live elsewhere. Ugly environments, cheap gas, and subsidized freeways mean that workers commute to residences far outside the edge nodes, scattering into less dense areas, creating one more suburban pattern, the rural fringes.””
About This Quote
Source Book: “The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History” by Dolores Hayden, 1995
Edge‑node developments often lack housing, leading to commuter suburbs and fragmented communities.
In simple terms: Edge nodes lack livable housing, causing sprawl.
Promote mixed‑use, affordable housing in edge areas.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- city planning
- real estate development
- transport policy
- community advocacy
- environmental impact
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can policymakers incentivize affordable housing in edge nodes?
- What design strategies reduce commuter dependence?
Market forces and zoning can resist mixed‑use development.