An Ecological Approach to the Theory of Suburbanization

Growth and Succession in Suburban Communities*

“…Transition and succession have been found to be typical of neighborhoods close to the city center (Winsborough, 1962;Treadway, 1969), but this result may be due to the relation of distance to the other characteristics noted above. In the Burgess schema areas close to the city are also expected to be older areas with higher proportions of minority households and lower income levels, and little undeveloped land.…”

“…This body of research is subject to critique at two levels. First the literature's excessive emphasis on density gradients (or associations between community growth and distance from the central business district, as treated in Winsborough, 1962Winsborough, , 1963Berry, Simmons, and Tennant, 1963;Treadway, 1969) has provided an inadequate test of the ecological model. Second, by thinking of communities simply as locations organized according to the outcomes of infinite choices and confrontations by individual land users, ecological theory has neglected the impact on growth of collective community action (Molotch, 1976;Logan, 1978).We develop both lines of critique within the context of an exploration of the ecological, social structural, and political correlates of various types of growth in suburban communities.…”

Suburban Differentiation: On the Contemporary Utility of the Employment-Residence Typology

“…Although studies of central cities continue to capture much attention, greater emphasis has recently been placed on the examination of suburbs to gain a better understanding of the metropolitanization process, and, in the 1970s, a focus of Urbanization of the suburbs has emerged (Kramer, 1972;Masotti and Hadden, 1974). This is perhaps new terminology but not a new idea (see Douglas, 1925;Winsborough, 1963). "Urbanization" of the suburbs refers to a process which includes the "migration of a larger and more heterogenous population to suburbia, the physical decentralization or relocation of economic activities through the metropolitan area, and the adoption of urban life styles" (Masotti and Hadden, 1973;' 16-20).4…”

“…Other aspects of suburbanization, such as the increasing heterogeneity of population and the adoption of urban life styles, have previously been addressed directly or indirectly (Bogue and Harris, 1954;(Winsborough, 1963;Glenn, 1973;Schwartz, 1976) Frey, 1978a, 1978bGrier and Grier, 1978). Of course, interest in comparing the rates of growth and the socioeconomic characteristics of suburbs to those of central cities has been considerable since, in the past, suburbs grew faster and most had populations of higher socioeconomic status than their corresponding central cities.…”

Temporal Aspects of Urban Population Densities: Brisbane, 1861–1966

“…More specific aspects of the Brisbane data worthy of comment include: 1. Adopting Winsborough's (1963) useful distinction between the two processes of suburbanization, deconcentration or decompaction, indicated by a falling g, and decongestion, indicated by a falling do, Brisbane deconcentrated after at latest 1886, probably after 1871, and decongested after 1901. There was however, the oft-noted temporary recongestion during the early 1940s.…”