The Promise of Paradise

Since mid-century the mass-merchandising of recreational and retirement communities has mushroomed into a multi-billion dollar industry. But not all such communities have proven successful. Air travelers above the Sunbelt states often see vast tracts of land on which isolated, jigsawlike patterns of roads lead nowhere. And the tongue-in-cheek offer of "land in Florida" has become proverbial for a foolish investment. In the first geographic and environmental analysis of the recreational and retirement community industry in America, Bill Stroud shows how and why certain communities had positive impacts on the surrounding region while others did not. Focusing on well-known developments in Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Arkansas, and Tennessee, he finds that most developments are poorly planned and designed, resulting in environmental damage, social and economic problems, and overtaxing of public services. Yet Stroud acknowledges that future development is inevitable, as recreational and retirement communities continue to lure urban America with the promise of paradise.