by DUB Studios (Michael Piper and Frank Ruchala jr.) with  Tom Alberty and Pippa Brashear

Over half the vehicle trips generated by suburban households are for everyday needs, such as getting a cup of coffee.  These seemingly inconsequential short trips add up to a big energy problem, one that is increasingly costly for households, governments, and the environment.

A Suburban General Store – located in the underused community building found in many subdivisions – will limit these vehicle trips by centralizing everyday services within easy walking distance of all residents.

The Suburban General Store is modeled after the American general store that served as the commercial and gathering space for many small towns.  Updated to fit today’s suburban lifestyle, the Store takes the existing community building and adds a public porch and program chosen to reduce energy use.

Suburban General Store’s program consists of a balanced mix of public and private uses chosen to generate the maximum foot traffic, public support and energy savings within the subdivision.

To create a truly inviting space that convinces residents to save energy by leaving their cars at home, the Suburban General Store’s porch includes a series of public amenities both built into the building’s columns and based on traditional general store elements.

Since residential subdivisions make up the largest share of the built environment, the savings generated by a nation of Suburban General Stores will go a long way to ending our energy addiction, lowering oil use by up to 194 million barrels per year and saving $23 billion annually.

Existing zoning codes prohibit the Suburban General Store by barring commercial uses from residential areas, forcing residents to drive for even basic amenities.  A simple change to the rules for private community centers can fix this while maintaining the desired characteristics of the subdivision.