Debate over the fate of cities and suburbs in the post-petroleum era has tended to swing between two extremes. One school of thought considers these forms of social organization so unsustainable that they will eventually be abandoned; the other dreams of eco-cities rescued by mass transit and high-rise agriculture.

In “Cities and Suburbs in the Energy Descent: Thinking in Scenarios,” TCLocal contributor Karl North subjects these viewpoints to a rigorous analysis that points to a third outcome: a transformation of both cities and suburbs that leaves them habitable, but capable of supporting a much smaller population. You can access his article at

http://tclocal.org/2012/10/cities_and_suburbs_descent.html

ABOUT TCLOCAL

Several times a year, TCLocal brings you another in our series of articles addressing various aspects of relocalization in Tompkins County. Contributors to TCLocal are members of the community committed to helping prepare for a more local and self-reliant future. Articles that have been published so far at tclocal.org can be found in the TCLocal archives at

http://tclocal.org/archives.html

Articles appearing at tclocal.org are published under the Creative Commons license and are owned and managed by the contributors as a group. People interested in becoming TCLocal contributors should first read “How to Contribute” at

http://www.ibiblio.org/tcrp/about.htm#how

and then contact the TCLocal editor at the address below to sign up.

Jon Bosak
Editor, TCLocal
bosak@pinax.com