Conclusion

We are at an interesting point in history. Since America’s beginnings, we have gradually wrapped ourselves in an unsustainable lifestyle hidden behind growth which much of the developing world now hopes to follow. However, sustainability and community are becoming a necessary combination if we want to keep our country stable and within the earth’s natural carrying capacity. We must look at the city and town as manmade ecosystems and with that, properly define the neighborhoods within them as livable places with multiple purposes on a human scale. For the places that have lost their unique identity, we should realize American history has determined “place” today and that we must reconsider “place” when we were making social progress. It is necessary understand that the American Dream has been distorted and will be restored. In order to do so, we should recognize our faulty perceptions and rebuild the trust by creating healthy communities. Retrofitting is the solution to this, but we will need efficient technology as well as political will to make it happen. My generation will have a lot to do, fixing the architectural and social shortcomings in American cities and suburbs. This will improve our nation giving its citizens a real feel for contact and reassurance that we will be less vulnerable from environmental and energy transformations of the 21^st century.