A new article by Kunstler just came out. He looks at the future and cities and
suburbia and rural areas with a unique eye. Some of it will be familiar to
Schizomania readers. He can be a bit abrasive occasionally, but also
entertaining.

Here is a link to the article and an excerpt:

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/6336/

"...All suburbs have a problematic destiny. Some will do better than others,
based on idiosyncrasies of politics and geography. A few will be retrofitted
into towns, though a shortage of capital will be a big obstacle when it comes to
money for police and other services. Suburbia's characteristic lack of civic
armature suggests an absence of community cohesion. I expect many suburbs will
become squats, ruins, and salvage yards. "
"...A lot of young people already have no use or affection for suburbia, and
have begun moving into big cities. But when our energy supply problems get
worse, there will be wholesale demographic shifts to smaller cities and small
towns, especially places that have some relationship with local food production,
water power, and water transport. Our smaller cities and towns are intrinsically
better scaled for future energy realities. Most of these places are in sad shape
after decades of neglect, but they can be repopulated and reactivated. "

Greg