The Reburbia Competition: Fixing the Suburbs

Once seen as idyllic, the sprawling, car-centric suburban neighborhoods that have overgrown the American landscape are starting to seem more like a blight. Many of these communities are struggling to recover from the housing crisis, high fuel costs, and climate-related energy concerns, while some economically devastated neighborhoods are simply succumbing to decay. 

But let's not give up on the 'burbs just yet.

Inhabitat.com and Dwell Magazine are sponsoring Reburbia: a design competition dedicated to re-envisioning the suburbs. The competition invites us to start thinking of ample lawns, big box stores, parking lots, and cul-de-sacs as the canvas for a greener vision of American life. The deadline for submissions to the contest is July 31. So if you've got a great idea for reusing strip malls, improving walkability, or reclaiming the front lawn, now's the time to share. With a little tinkering, the suburbs might be transformed into a place where green dreams can come true.

Enter the contest here.

--Della Watson