I have talked about suburban home values going to zero.
Vast tracts of yuppy houses, abandoned, empty.
I have said reasons like demographics, disease/VAXXX, energy prices, and crime, but all of those are not the real reason. They are an impetus, that gets people moving, but the real reason is the GREAT MIGRATION.
People are going to move to a place that will survive the ice-age.
People are going to move away from the coasts and the rising sea levels.
People are going to move to get out of the way of natural disasters.
People are going to move away from cities, and out to homesteads.
But really,
People are going to move to a place where they will be with their "family"
What is a family?
The last century might have been categorized as trying out independence. Where, people tried going it alone. A whole bunch of individuals living in a city. Families splintered into the smallest piece, the nuclear family. Everyone having an apartment to themselves. Being stacked on top of each other, but separate, individualized.
The time before could be classified as "dependence". We needed the community around us to survive.
This time i believe we will try "interdependence"
We are going to come together into groups.
The ones who start now will come together with like minded people, people who share the same values and future goals.
These groups have been prophesied to be called "families". (more of a spiritual thing, where you are talking about your reincarnation group, not as much the biological group)
The coming together
There are two groups i can point to that are moving closer together.
The indi music group/scene (but that could just be because they find cheap housing)
The homesteading groups. One homesteader becomes internet-famous, and other wannabe homesteaders buy property in the same area. These people tend to be ideologically very similar, because they were all attracted to the same personality.
It is interesting how certain groups are buying everything in a certain area.
Unfortunately for all the other types of groups, they are going to have to learn to farm. I know this is going to put a damper on what they thought they wanted to do. What they didn't have to do when they had grocery stores.
Everyone becomes a part time farmer.
Unless you have a skill that is so necessary that other people will farm for you.
This is other people that you will trust with your food/your life. One thing most people are just starting to realize now is that the food in the supermarket is poisoned. None of it is good for you. The good stuff is just less poisoned. So, in the near future, you will want to be sure about what you put in your body. So, do you trust those other people to not inadvertently poison you? Do you trust them to keep your livestock alive? A lot of farmers have problems going on vacation, because even with someone watching their herd, they always lose something, because the replacement, is not them. (often just doesn't know the signs of disease and troubles that the farmer is just used to watching for)
So, you will be growing your own food, and so will all of your closest friends.
Grocery stores will be a thing of the past. Like rotary phones.
I am unsure if they will go away because no one wants poisoned food, or if it becomes too hard to keep food in stock. Many city stores will just not be able to get regular deliveries.
Why don't they just stay in the cities?
The main reason cities will be abandoned is because these "families" will need a place to grow food/cattle. And, if you are starting right now, that just isn't found in the city.
Maybe in the future some people will tear down tract house and clear up land for grazing and farming, but really, most cities are not a beneficial place to stay. Their positions were chosen for a reason that won't even exist as a consideration in the future.
Cities mostly grew up around commerce, which is defined by transportation. Many a city has sprung up because they are where two roads crossed.
The other things like water supply, and then electricity where considered, but man has pumped water across the desert.
In the future, these "families" will be mostly self-sufficient. All of them will manufacture an item that they can trade to other families for things they do not make. And this reduces the amount of goods shipped to a very tiny amount (compared to today) and in most places, this will distributed by automated train cars on some kind of monorail.
The commerce reason for why cities exist will just disappear.
Each community will have their own green, continuous power source, so power distribution will not be a concern.
Water becomes not a concern either. (but it is hard to explain how right now)
Thus, families will build their communities in the best locations for survivability. This next century we will see a lot more storms, earthquakes, volcanoes and flooding. And safety from these will be of prime importance. The cities, usually out in a flat area, will just not be it.