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Could rising gas prices kill the suburbs?
msn ^ | 8/15/06 | marylin lewis

Posted on 08/15/2006 9:32:24 AM PDT by LouAvul

Rising fuel costs are being blamed for everything from soaring utility costs to lower retail sales and higher airline tickets. And now, experts say high gas prices could reshape U.S. cities.

"Most analysts believe that crude oil prices in the $50s and $60s will be with us for some time," says Stuart Gabriel, director of the Lusk Center, a think tank at the University of Southern California devoted to studying real estate forces and trends. There's even talk of crude hitting $100 per barrel -- or 10 times what it sold for in the summer of 2005.

Once the realization soaks into the American consciousness that high-cost gas is here to stay, Gabriel predicts, those high commute prices will pull more homeowners -- even young families -- to live in central cities and create a push for more public transportation.

(Excerpt) Read more at realestate.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: energy; gasprices; suburbs; telecommute; telecommuting
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To: tortoise

On the contrary. The products of our public mis-educaton system cannot shine the shoes of many Indians in IT. I've worked at many IT shops in the midwest with significant Indian immigrant and outsourcing components.

In general, they are more capable of dealing with facts and logic whereas young American workers have only learned how to "feel" about a topic. Also Indians have a better work ethic than many of us Americans (I say as I chat on the internet at work).


61 posted on 08/15/2006 10:15:53 AM PDT by spintreebob
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To: rb22982

"My generation is living in the city now. My wife and I (we're both 24) bought our house last year in the city. 4 couples we are good friends with did the same. All mention gas prices as one of the reasons."

So's my generation, at least in part (I'm 61). My wife and I bought our home in the city two years ago, in a nice residential neighborhood. It's great.


62 posted on 08/15/2006 10:16:39 AM PDT by MineralMan (non-evangelical atheist)
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To: LouAvul
Gabriel predicts, those high commute prices will pull more homeowners -- even young families -- to live in central cities

More wishful thinking from the Left - more constituents under the control of the RATs.

63 posted on 08/15/2006 10:17:45 AM PDT by Go Gordon (I don't know what your problem is, but I bet its hard to pronounce)
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This is new urbanist/smart growth propaganda. I'll believe it when I see it, this "flight" from the suburbs back into high density/high cost cities. I also love this prediction that light rail will save us all and that folks will FLOCK to high density condo developments on rail lines. It doesn't happen. It's a niche and that is all. Me, I'm looking to the exurbs of my city for better cost of housing, and much lower property taxes, thank you.


64 posted on 08/15/2006 10:18:11 AM PDT by Electrowoman
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To: 3dognight
I'm sitting in my home 52 miles away from the office freeping/working.

I'm sitting at work 75 miles from home doing work (and freeping just this one time).

65 posted on 08/15/2006 10:18:12 AM PDT by palmer (Money problems do not come from a lack of money, but from living an excessive, unrealistic lifestyle)
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To: HEY4QDEMS

66 posted on 08/15/2006 10:22:09 AM PDT by petercooper (Is this where I get me a huntin' license?)
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To: RightWhale
The price of gasoline won't matter at all. Trips might be thought out a little more but gasoline is still cheap. I agree, RW. We have been spoiled by low gasoline prices for decades. It hasn't seemed to have effected anyones vacation plans let alone causing them to relocate closer to their workplace.
67 posted on 08/15/2006 10:22:42 AM PDT by divine_moment_of_facts ("Liberals see what they believe... Conservatives believe what they see")
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To: george76; Prysson
It will end up reshaping the political leadership long before it significantly impacts suburban appeal in any significant way.

24 posted on 08/15/2006 12:48:50 PM EDT by Prysson

. . . in about the way indicated in the Mallard Filmore cartoon in #18.

68 posted on 08/15/2006 10:25:57 AM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The idea around which liberalism coheres is that NOTHING actually matters except PR.)
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To: xzins
Gas prices are not rising in my area. In fact, they're down about 20 cents over 2 weeks ago.

It's amazing how gas prices and interest rates always seem to stabilize/decline in the months leading up to an election.


BUMP

69 posted on 08/15/2006 10:28:18 AM PDT by capitalist229 (Get Democrats out of our pockets and Republicans out of our bedrooms.)
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To: LouAvul
Could rising gas prices kill the suburbs?

There are a lot of businesses that don't have their operations in a large city downtown area. So no, gas prices won't kill the suburbs.

70 posted on 08/15/2006 10:31:01 AM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: BillM

This is just a socialist "urban spral" dream; where the GOP votes of the suburbs will be nullified by the city votes. The economy will adjust somehow, but I will assure you the suburbs will keep growing.


71 posted on 08/15/2006 10:32:21 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: durasell
If someone can telecommute from thirty or forty miles away, why not just hire a guy in India for about 1/10 the salary and have him telecommute?

A lot of companies have already done that - they call it outsourcing. Some companies have figured out outsourcing doesn't work for them and are pulling the work back to U.S. based employees.

72 posted on 08/15/2006 10:34:41 AM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: MEGoody; tortoise

We're in outsourcing version 1.0. In a decade we'll be in version 2.0. It'll be a much improved version. Multi-lingual and keyed into all the major world markets.


73 posted on 08/15/2006 10:38:17 AM PDT by durasell (!)
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To: oldleft
A friend of a friend works in San Jose but lives in Sonora.

He can make more by working in San Jose but his home is in the Sierras.

What kind of commute is that, anyway? Three hours? One way?

I love the Sierras. But, I don't know about that.

74 posted on 08/15/2006 10:41:33 AM PDT by LouAvul
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To: BillM

Exactly, want to end Sprawl?.... end Liberalism. (ie, Enforce laws, stop Welfare born pathogens, and lower urban taxes)


75 posted on 08/15/2006 10:42:23 AM PDT by Dead Dog
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To: BillM
The most productive citizens live in the suburbs.

Nope. The most productive people live in the nicest areas of the cities. The middling people live in the suburbs. Check out per capita income.
76 posted on 08/15/2006 10:44:10 AM PDT by HostileTerritory
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To: LouAvul

False premise.

It neglects the basic principal, that suburban commuters have moved out of cities primarily because of real estate costs.

The cost of gasoline is a minor issue compared to housing costs.


77 posted on 08/15/2006 10:44:11 AM PDT by finnman69 (cum puella incedit minore medio corpore sub quo manifestu s globus, inflammare animos)
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To: LouAvul

What a silly premise.

If people traded in their 15mpg or less SUV for a 30mpg sedan gas could double and have no ill effect on their gas budget.


78 posted on 08/15/2006 10:46:29 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: rb22982
My generation is living in the city now. My wife and I (we're both 24) bought our house last year in the city. 4 couples we are good friends with did the same. All mention gas prices as one of the reasons.

Everybody does that at your age. So did my husband and I. But eventually the charms of 24 hour Thai food and cheap Cosmos fades in the face of poor schools, unsafe streets, and sky-high housing costs.
79 posted on 08/15/2006 10:46:46 AM PDT by Gingersnap
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To: Steel Wolf

What happens then is that the not-so-nice parts of the city get gentrified and become nice parts. We've seen that happen in New York, Boston, and D.C. as the price differential grew large enough to take advantage of.


80 posted on 08/15/2006 10:47:22 AM PDT by HostileTerritory
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