American Downtowns. Once we loved them. Then we left them. Now we’re returning to them in increasing numbers as the urban core of cities all across the country are coming back to life. What has caused this change in the American lifestyle? Why did we abandon downtowns to begin with? Can this new revival be sustained?
Today, a host of unintended consequences of that generation’s choices -- from environmental to social – is paving the way for the next American dream. As demographers predict a steady rise in the percentage of American households without children, and a tremendous increase in the demand for walkable urban spaces – what will the next American dream look like?
In 2005, filmmakers in Kansas City, Missouri, secured unprecedented access to the planning and reconstruction efforts to revitalize the city’s downtown urban core. The film blends the story of this city’s comeback with interviews with urban planning experts from around the country, archival footage and commentary from the people who are returning to live in our downtowns.
“The Next American Dream” also focuses on how the built environment has reflected (or some would say driven) the American Dream and how urban planners and downtown developers are re-adapting their strategies to meet the needs of a modern and more environmentally conscious society.
So, join us for a fascinating visual tour through the downtowns of our past, the ongoing changes of the present and a glimpse at the future of “The Next American Dream.”
