ARE EDGE CITIES LOSING THEIR EDGE

Popularized in the 1980s, the term "edge city" refers not only to the geographic area but also to the competitive edge that an outlying area offers over downtown as an employment center. Edge cities are characterized by millions of square feet of office and retail space, and they are traditionally auto-oriented. Edge cities are facing serious problems in the 1990s, though, due to downsizing. This article provides examples of edge cities around the nation and explains how some of them are adopting "downtown" strategies to survive. Transportation options, such as pedestrian malls and transit facilities, are helping to create a sense of place in these areas. Parks and other environmental designs are softening the concrete and steel facade common to the edge city. Incorporating urbanism into the suburban fold may be the way of saving some of these edge cities.