Are suburbs really that terrible?

My husband harbors a deep and troubling hatred of the suburbs. I learned this recently as we walked through it. I pressed her with questions about her contempt and she became increasingly irritated.

“They all look the same. The houses are ugly. Look at that fake stone facade. It’s plastic,” she scoffed. I looked at it and realized she had a point.

For context, we’re considering buying a new home in the next year or two. The idea of ​​a suburb appeals to me, because you get more square meters for less money. And having worked in construction, I know that the construction process is standardized and less prone to defects. The suburbs are also quieter feeling safer.

After I elaborated on these points, she replied, “Yes, but you have to live in a suburb.”

And honestly, suburbs have a lot of flaws. They are quite harmful to the environment, they eat large areas of land and cause 400% more CO2 emissions than alternatives. This happens mainly because the suburbs are further away from businesses and jobs, meaning there is more car traffic. Even if your suburb is near a business, zoning requirements often result in walls of separation between you and the establishment next door, which would otherwise have been a walkable trek for a quick bag of groceries.

And then there is the massive use of pesticides that these communities need, which has enormous consequences for nature, namely a huge impact on biodiversity. This is exacerbated by the rushed permitting process in many states, where little consideration is given to these consequences.

In fact, suburbs can be bad for the community. There are few shared spaces where you can spend time together, also called third places, where you come together and get to know your neighbors. Suburbia tends to offer a veneer of community spirit, with confusing and winding roads past houses that can leave you lost in your own neighborhood.

The design issue

Then there is the character problem. Suburbs can feel completely stripped and devoid of the taste, individuality and architecture you look for in a home.

The anthropologist Marc Auge went so far as to call them ‘non-places’. He said they are interchangeable and completely impersonal, little more than shopping malls designed to import and export people as quickly, efficiently and easily as possible.

Critics argue that there is a general malaise in the suburbs, where people are bored and passing time until their next shift at work, or the next birth and painful obligations to family matters. Children are locked in concrete cul-de-sacs and prevented from exploring nature and the world beyond by a concrete wall.

According to Rachel Heiman, professor of anthropology at the New School and author of Driving After Class, “We can’t keep building our suburbs the way we are now, even if some people are nostalgic for them.”

Suburbs increase our dependence on cars and encourage us to invest less in public transport, which is safer and promotes community. In fact, living in the suburbs increases inactivity and is detrimental to mental and physical health.

The good that comes with it

Despite the long-standing and sometimes elitist criticism of the suburbs, there is still a lot of meaningful living happening in the suburbs.

I grew up in different suburbs myself. And as children we never thought about urbanization, sustainability or other high-level topics. Our neighborhood was measured by where the other kids were and who was fun to play with. My concrete driveway doubled as a landing pad for my toy airplanes. The grass became a playing field for various games involving endless hunting. These experiences were very satisfying and still live on as a source of nostalgia.

You could say that much of the criticism of the suburbs has disappeared in recent years. For example, they are more diverse than ever. In 1990, the suburbs had only 20% people of color. Today that number is 45% and growing.

Yes, suburbs offer a level of tranquility that you won’t achieve in an urban environment. If the general pulse of a city, passing cars and conversations beneath your window are a distraction or source of negativity, suburbia is largely an escape from that – but it’s not a promise of good neighbors.

I know when I lived in downtown DC there was no such thing as a quiet day. I loved living there. But stepping outside every day really felt like being thrown into the concrete jungle. It’s not for everyone.

Would I have had a richer childhood if I had grown up with more public parks and shared spaces in my immediate environment? With the dense cultural immersion that an urban environment provides? Maybe.

After living in so many states and abroad as a child and relentlessly traveling for my father’s military career, I’ve learned that any place is as welcoming as you make it. What really separated each city was the quality of the friendships and the people I met.

If I had wonderful people I could connect with, love, and trust, I could be happy in any hellish environment.

Yes, the suburbs are problematic. But you can’t undo the fact that you grew up in it. And it is not wrong that you think back on those days with great pleasure. I remember Merritt Square Mall, and even the 7–11 we went to every day on the way home from swim practice, before entering our boring suburb.

Nostalgia can even promote progress. Research shows that we are inextricably linked to the past, with a concept called self-continuity. The past becomes an anchor by which we measure progress. We can look back and appreciate all the good that came with it, while also not wanting to perpetuate all the bad that came with it.

The takeaway

Think carefully about where you want to live. Some cities and states are more responsible than others.

As just one example, Oregon is using fantastic and innovative zoning laws that reduce urban and suburban sprawl, allowing for more high-density housing and more agricultural land next to wildlife. Consider high-density housing as this allows for a lower carbon footprint, shared public transportation, and easy ways to find community.

The fact remains that COVID-19 has pushed masses of people to the suburbs, which now account for 50% of U.S. residential carbon emissions.

If you have to live in a suburb, consider adopting a few habits to compensate. Consider embracing solar energy. I saw some recently in a suburb, along the roofs of a house, and they looked great and tasteful. Suburbs generally have far fewer trees, making it easy to use the sun for natural energy.

Don’t be afraid to let your grass grow out a bit. Mowing less often is great for bee pollen, and they need more help than ever. Here in Florida we have a “No Mow March,” where we grow lawns for the spring harvest with bees. Plus, just having your own garden can be fantastic for the environment and increase biodiversity.

Community Affairs. The homes we live in have a huge impact on the larger world around you. Think long and hard before choosing a suburb. They’re not bad. But they are problematic.