Plot Synopsis

This two-part documentary series explores the challenges our older suburbs now face and points to solutions for their revitalization. Sixty years ago, suburban communities were built next to America's urban centers and were once the birthplace of the American Dream. Driven by a desire to escape the smokestacks of the central cities, and a housing shortage following World War II, thousands of suburban homes were built and middle class families flocked to fill them. Now, many of these original suburbs are facing a crisis: a dwindling tax base, population and business loss, decaying infrastructure, increased racial tensions and white flight. Lacking policies to help reverse these trends, many towns are struggling for their survival. In the first episode, two public officials from Ohio try to save their aging towns from losing residents and businesses to newer suburban communities. In the second episode, residents of Pennsauken, N.J., work with Fund for an Open Society to reverses a declining housing market and create an integrated community.