If suburban living had been a mere preference, it would show up in real estate prices, not in population loss. To get massive population loss, people have to b

If suburban living had been a mere preference, it would show up in real estate prices, not in population loss. To get massive population loss, people have to be unwilling to buy at any price. When the crime rate increased in the 70's, people sold their houses at fire sale prices, or just abandoned them altogether. Great swaths of American cities ended up looking like this: http://www.jim-frizzell.com/Philadelphia2001/04-18-01/04-19-01jefferson_and_darien_north_philadelphia.jpg http://www.jim-frizzell.com/Philadelphia2001/04-18-01/04-19-... Meanwhile, dense city neighborhoods that have suburban levels of violence tend to have much higher real estate prices than the suburbs. This indicates that people really do prefer cities, but it's the violence that keeps them out.