Galster and his colleagues are quick to caution against defining a typical immigrant neighborhood, and the same could be said of defining the typical immigrant. Both articles emphasize the fact that cultural differences affect residential location decisions, making it difficult to determine how demographic shifts and settlement patterns will affect cities and suburbs. This puzzle implies that future research should concentrate on the effect of cultural ties and traditions on settlement patterns, considering how suburban ethnic networks differ from central city networks.

One finding is clear from these two articles: The suburbanization of immigrants is increasing. This demographic shift leaves government officials and policymakers with many questions. How will this demographic shift affect central city revitalization? Will it increase the demand for suburban social services? Will the need for suburban affordable housing increase? More analysis is needed before policymakers can thoughtfully determine the impact of suburbanization on the metropolis, and the Alba and Galster studies lay the groundwork for future research.