Growing Up in the St. Louis suburbs, suburban sprawl seemed to be an active force. The #1 fastest growing county in the Country was St. Charles, and both the City of St. Louis and much of the inner ring suburbs were rough. Despite the trend, I wondered how that trend could be self-sustaining. When would enough be enough. Would it ever end?
Sources are pointing to the end in a general way. This portion of the TIME article dealing with current changes seems premature in predicting the demise of suburbia for some reason. In St. Louis metro, suburbia is so vast in comparison to the city itself. Even if the population numbers of inner ring municipalities of Clayton, Webster Groves, Shrewsbury and Maplewood were considered, the suburbs still account for a huge percentage of the local areas population.
As a realtor, I work with people looking in the city as well as the suburbs. For some the ‘burbs fit. Working with more people for whom it doesn’t makes me wonder if the population will ever reach a balance again between the city and the county. 
Another thought, considering the speculation that exists saying that urbanization is a general trend, to what extent does the massive urban renaissance in St. Louis add to the trend locally?
Working with so many students of this current shift back into cities, there are as many opinions that exist as people to give them. One thing that is certain, the City has come a long way in a short time. Watching it happen is fantastic. Having a job that basically shows off how far St. Louis City has come in the past decade is a true blessing.
STL CITY LIVING 