The End of Suburbia, as many observes or hopes for, have been connected to the rising oil prices, the fall out of the real estate market, as well as the rising crime rate in certain American suburban neighborhoods. But more importantly, the move away from the pursuit of suburban living is both a reflection and a result of the changing ways in which our generation imagines the city and urban life. As Leinberger points out, shows like Friends, Seinfeld and Sex and the City showcased "the city's urban allure to Gen-Xers and Millennials," while when "Hollywood wants to portray soulless, despair or moral decay" it often looks to the suburbs for inspiration as is the case with The Sopranos and Desperate Housewives.

If American cities began by developing vertically before developing horizontally only to move towards more localized communities, when and in what form will this transition take place in the many developing cities of Asia, Africa, and Latin America that are currently adopting the sprawl model complete with SUVs and highways?