What's special about the suburbs is the lower density. A dense city, at least, has more people (and more potential tax revenue) per unit of infrastructure to offset the cost of maintenance and replacement.

As you point out, there might be other governance-related problems that offset the advantages density confers.

Dense cities also have higher cost per unit of infrastructure. Just think about the cost of digging up a gas line in Manhattan vs. in the suburbs.

Which effect dominates - revenue vs. cost? I don't know. But that article certainly doesn't do anything to illuminate the issue.

I have no problem with people living in suburbs as long as they pay for it. Everyone else is subsidizing (too low gas tax, wars for oil, obesity epidemic weighing on health care system, free parking) and accommodating (huge roads through downtown, small sidewalks, insane parking requirements) their car oriented life styles.