Zombie Homes and Desert Roofs

The NPR article, while focused on the current economic and creative difficulties in the housing industry, made me instead think more of the environmental problems surrounding the ‘zombie housing’ issue. One of the inherent faults with modern developers is they try to imitate an eastern style of suburban living that emerged after the creation of Levittown, NY. As Cullen explains, Levittown emerged as a joining of Jeffersonian and Hamiltonian ideals by trying to give people both the connection to nature offered by rural life, while maintaining the close community of urban life. There was strong appeal to live in a home seemingly tailored for the interests of the up and coming American family. People felt they were on the path of upward mobility through homeownership of such a home. However, the scale at which these homes were produced and the consumer culture that emerged in the post-war era changed the objectives of the average American. Instead of seeking status or wealth people were instead seeking conformity.

This conformity has led Americans to believe that a two-story house with a well-maintained lawn is vital to upward mobility, regardless if you are in the middle of the Sonoran desert. I think this article makes a very pertinent point that we need to rethink how we use our space. Not only to continue growth in a tanked economy, but to live more efficiently and practically in our local environments. If we fail to gain a thoughtful perspective on how we live our lives, we risk the collapse and desertification of our communities.

I am reminded by this article of an art piece I saw in New York back over thanksgiving break. The piece, entitled “Desert Rooftops,” is a statement on how unchecked suburban growth results in desertification through the over-consumption of natural resources.

http://www.timessquarenyc.org/times-square-arts/current-upcoming/david-brooks-desert-rooftops/index.aspx


P.S. This article also reminded me of an article we read last year about schools on Navajo reservations (i think). The attempt to transform the desert landscape seemed comparable in the article to Phoenix's suburbia.