Nostalgia intertwined with dismissive distaste

     Sharing similarities with the neighborhood described in the first post, Centennial Place is, as it pains me to say, another definition of sprawl. Upon arriving upon another new home at age seven, I was engulfed with waves of rushing excitement and childish curiosity. What made this house different from previous addresses was the simple fact that it was not an apartment. As a child, I had not considered whether how similar looking my house was compared to the next or whether how many trees were quickly leveled in order for my neighborhood to be built. Yet thinking back, I still emotionally praise the area as lovely and welcoming, while logically I realize in reality how hollow and shallow the entire vicinity was. Out of the three cities introduced in Blueprint America, Denver shares the most characteristics with Centennial.
     It is quite strange watching a simple video could have changed my opinion of “sprawl” neighborhoods. What I once identified as feelings of comfort have morphed into channels of abhorrence towards such residential sites. Out of these three cities: Denver, Portland, and New York City, I certainly find New York City the most attractive. Simply the fact that NYC possesses a huge community and the most diversity adds an incredible amount of appeal. The city is an epicenter for new ideas and experiments, and such a characteristic combined with the wise attitude of NYC to improve its ways only further boasts its enticing value.
     My childhood suburban home did little to contradict the claims of Blueprint America. Many repetitive patterns existed back where I lived akin to the depiction of the sprawl city. Single family homes shared one of 3 housing styles, and a recurring loop of small road, lawn grass, and new house covered the terrain. It was a new neighborhood, with new houses constantly being built around ones that had unfinished basements. The entire place became a huge residential space as my neighborhood combined with two other older but still new suburbs. As a result, no one had to decide on what type of transportation. The most accessible, common, and devastation choice was the automobile, and this caused traffic to grow exponentially worse over the years. Despite having suffered through horrible traffic, the residents did not change their habits, with their middle class tendencies holding grip over their logic and foresight. Homeowners were mostly young, white families earning middle class incomes – continuing the sprawl stereotype of earlier decades. The descriptions of sprawl in the documentary fit perfectly with the place I spent my childhood in. The multiple streets of house copies, the timeless traffic, and the detached attitudes of the locals all further usher feelings of apathy towards Centennial Place.

Blueprint America: Road to the Future

-Jaron Gao