Boomburbs' Lead Nation's Growth.

• Position: Suburban cities - Brief Article

Rapidly growing suburban cities are overtaking many urban centers in size and influence. According to an analysis of 2000 U.S. Census data by the Fannie Mae Foundation, there are 53 "boomburbs" in the nation, which it defines as places with 100,000 or more residents that are not the largest city in their area. But while these cities have the size to wield significant political power, their growth along interstate beltways around major cities and their usually sprawling layouts allow them to function less like a concentrated urban city-with a downtown and dense residential neighborhoods--and more like an overgrown suburb. They almost always lack a concentrated business district, relying instead on malls and commercial strips, and are...