The Rise of Recreation Exurbs

“The Rise of Recreation Exurbs & The Demise of Community” describes a fifty-plus year economic, political and cultural evolution of what until now has been an unrecognized development in American society. This work focuses on four new American recreation exurbs that are representative of others like them: Martha’s Vineyard, MA, (a typical ocean-side resort); Crested Butte, CO, (representing mountain areas); Sedona, AZ, (a desert destination); and Lake Tahoe, CA & NV, (a large lakeside locale). This work discusses the causes and consequences of their evolution. It shows that in these places, over time, there has been a direct relationship between escalating real estate prices and the loss of a feeling of community among local residents. In fact, many long-time locals, because of increased real estate values, were forced out of the communities they had developed. For some of the other adverse effects of this development, such as the lack of affordable housing and a shrinking workforce, it suggests possible remedies.

Virtually all of these places are in beautiful, awe-inspiring environments which formerly were home to small, working and middle-class, tight-knit, communities based on either fishing, mining, logging, farming or ranching. Then, they became single-sport recreation towns (e.g., skiing or boating) that catered to a local and regional clientele. Following that phase, people who came with the recreation industry realized they needed a year-around economy. These areas evolved further into tourist towns and recreation communities with many amenities that served an ever-increasing national tourist base. Finally, during the last two decades of the twentieth century and the first quarter of the twenty-first, they became today’s new American recreation exurbs.