The recent clustering of suburban employment in metropolitan regions has redefined the urban landscape and created suburban downtowns that serve many of the same functions -- such as retail, entertainment, and commercial services -- as the traditional central business district. Austin, Texas has an emerging suburban downtown on the northwest boundary of its city limits, anchored by The Arboretum shopping center. By undertaking a case study of Austin's suburban downtown, this report draws conclusions about how to define these new types of urban forms and their potential impact on pressing urban policy questions.
--Author's foreword.
