Activist to Speak on Suburban Woes

The American dream of suburbia is running out of road —at least according to Benjamin Ross, a Maryland-based author and transit activist. He will tackle this issue and more when he comes to town to speak on May 4, exactly two days after his latest book, Dead End: Suburban Sprawl and the Rebirth of American Urbanism, hits the shelves.

“The suburban value system that people used to assume was a superior way of living has reached a dead end,” says Ross. “It’s no longer a status symbol to have a lawn and a car.”

Ross says he will discuss his new book and how it deals with the situation created by the post-WWII trend of middle class families moving away from urban areas and into the chaotic ring of the suburbs. He will touch on how this trend, through bad planning and shoddy architecture, has led to modern realities like strip malls and traffic nightmares.

This phenomenon of sprawl and urban movement is evident all across the nation, including in Eugene, where there are transit disputes over the EMX, gentrification fears in the Whiteaker and new high rise apartment buildings springing up like weeds near the UO campus.

Ross will also provide an analysis of contemporary planning and suggestions for how to effect change in the modern age because suburbanization “affects the way we live; people get stuck in a rut and have to get in a car for everything that they do. There’s nothing but parking garages and malls,” he says. “There’s a lot of interest out there on how do we fix our cities.”

Ross’ free talk will take place 4 pm Sunday, May 4, at Cozmic, 199 W. 8th Ave.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!