Transforming the Suburban Landscape: One Community's Attempt to Adapt to a Knowledge-based Economy

Recent events in the world economy have impacted US governments at every level from the national to the local. This paper investigates one local community's effort to stimulate economic development in the wake of the world financial crisis. New Castle County, Delaware initiated an ambitious economic development planning effort to try to stem the tide of job losses and create an opportunity for job growth in emerging sectors. While dealing with the challenges of a weakened economy, they faced a unique opportunity resulting from the expansion of a nearby military base. Through the planning process they discovered that a major impediment to economic development was their existing suburban development form. Based on an in-depth case study, this paper reveals the challenges that suburban environments face as they try to adapt to changing economic and social settings. In many instances, traditional forms of suburban settlement are obsolete and community's need to take bold actions to redirect growth patterns in the suburbs. The solutions that they crafted in large part reflect an effort to transform their physical setting to accommodate a more diverse, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing environment. The lessons learned reveal the particular challenges of a suburban community in adapting to a knowledge-based economy.