Poverty, Once Relegated to Cities, Now Plaguing Suburban U.S.
Pittsburgh, PAIn post-World War II America, the sprawling suburbs made possible by full employment, good wages, and an abundance of automobiles were a symbol of prosperity. Large supermarkets, shopping malls and public parks were a sign of American success that few foresaw fading. But now, as the economy struggles to return to pre-recession standards, the suburbs are becoming poorer.
In their recent report on suburban poverty , the Brookings Institution researched the growing trend of traditionally middle-income areas shifting to lower-income brackets. They credit this, in part, to failed policies. The study looks into 100 metro areas and finds similar results.
Penn Hills, PA, was a town devastated in the 1980s. Its demographics changed in the following decades and, when the recent recession hit, new residents were unable to realize once lucid dreams of upward mobility. For