HISTORY OF
The Future
by Kathy Basset (2002)
What will the Forest be like 10, 20, or even 40 years from now? Who better to ask than the future generation, the children who currently live here? When asked what they thought the Forest would be like in the future, their answers pointed in the same direction, more development and fewer trees. Interestingly, the disappearance of trees was the change that concerned them the most.
They foresaw:
- Larger homes displacing the original smaller homes
- Wider streets
- Possibly sidewalks
- Definitely streetlights
- More families with young children replacing the elderly who move or pass away
- Underground power lines throughout the neighborhood
- A communal gas turbine generator for use during our predictable power outages
- A wireless network connecting each house with a shared T3 internet connection
- The Forester online
- A number of residents working from home or telecommuting at least part of the week
- Obsolescence of paper mail (replaced by electronic mail) except for packages.
The above represents what the future generation, the children, views of what The Forest will be like in the coming years.
Another aspect of the future to be considered is the potential return of former residents to Springbrook Forest. Some of the children who grew up in or near Springbrook Forest have returned as adults to raise families here. The uniqueness of the neighborhood has drawn them back. They have experienced and turned down living in an urban, rural, or the typical, repetitive suburban neighborhood. As a 1945 advertisement for Springbrook Forest described so well "back to the land in Springbrook Forest"
Some of the changes that will take place in the Forest will be positive, while others may be negative. The demographic of the Forest will certainly change, bringing younger and more diverse families to the neighborhood. Technology will likely change life and make it more comfortable for Forest residents. More and larger homes will definitely be built, but at the cost of trees. These changes will modernize and improve the Forest while still allowing Springbrook Forest to retain its unique rustic soul.