Is it an Exurb or a Suburb... Where is the Dividing Line in Nova?

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Reviving because some of our newer posters will find the maps on the first page of this thread interesting.

Also, we've been discussing Gainesville quite a bit lately. What do you think, exurb or suburb? I think it's moved into the suburban category, since it does have it's own businesses and isn't just a bedroom community. But, YMMV. What do the rest of you think?

Exurb of DC, suburb of the Dulles Tech corridor.

[terrence81]

Originally Posted by normie

LOL, I totally agree. I don't like using the word exurb myself. It sounds snooty, like you're trying to put on airs. Like you'd drive up to a limo and say "Pahdon me do you have any grey poupon? I live in the exurbs..."

This is true to an extent. But I would call "exurb" a fairly new word. In time this will be part of casual language or at least a recognizable word. Another word that not no one knew about 5 years ago was gentrification. But me and a friend had a lovely chat about gentrification in the DC area since we both are part of this in the DC area. However gentrification is more of ITB (inside the beltway) word versus subrban OTB (outside the beltway) word. I mean there's not much gentrification that I know of going on in Vienna or Ashburn.

So yes give it time "exurb" will become part of the general populace's vocabulary soon enough.

[terrence81]

In my humble opinion, I'd say that Loundon, Stafford, and Prince William counties were exurbs; while Fairfax county would be suburbia. Arlington and ITB Alexandria would be I guess "inner ring" suburbs.

[normie]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Exurb of DC, suburb of the Dulles Tech corridor.

This works if the definition has to do with distance, rather than the economic characteristics of a town. I've always heard exurbs defined as communities that are strictly residential; all residents must commute to another city for work. Suburbs are towns that have their own businesses, but a large number of the residents commute to jobs in a larger nearby city. Using the definition that I've heard, you can't be both--but you can move from being an exurb to being a suburb as businesses arrive. That's where I'd place Gainesville. IMO it's a former "mostly" exurban area that crossed over into being suburban.

[brooklynborndad]

Historically the term suburb was used to refer to exclusively residential areas - maybe things have evolved as business has moved to the suburbs, but DEFINING suburb as including employment centers does not agree with my sense of how I have seen the word used, and used it, these last 40 years or so.

I would define exurb as lower in density - fundamentally a rural area from which people commute. And which people increasing commute to employment centers in inner suburbs rather than to the metro area CBD, or have commutes to the CBD that are perceived as grueling, and that impact lifestyle.

By that definition, I consider eastern Loudon suburban, western Loudon exurban. Fauqier and beyond as exurban, mostly. on the south its harder to say, as you hit grueling commutes to the CBD well before you hit anything even vaguely rural, even relative to the other cardinal directions in NoVa.

TBH, though, I don't hear the term exurban used so much in greater DC, which also makes it harder to define the boundary.

[normie]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

I would define exurb as lower in density - fundamentally a rural area from which people commute. And which people increasing commute to employment centers in inner suburbs rather than to the metro area CBD, or have commutes to the CBD that are perceived as grueling, and that impact lifestyle..

This seems like a good definition to me.

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

TBH, though, I don't hear the term exurban used so much in greater DC, which also makes it harder to define the boundary.

Me neither. The only place I hear it is on this forum.