I’m glad you’re asking the question, what is so bad about it? Aesthetics and housing costs aside, what might incentivize people to move to suburbs? Is it such a mystery? Having space for multigenerational caregiving, whether raising children or caring for aging parents. Some people value having a garage for hobbies such as woodworking, y…
I’m glad you’re asking the question, what is so bad about it? Aesthetics and housing costs aside, what might incentivize people to move to suburbs? Is it such a mystery? Having space for multigenerational caregiving, whether raising children or caring for aging parents. Some people value having a garage for hobbies such as woodworking, yards for gardening or maybe they want pets. Even those closely packed houses offer better sound proofing than many apartments, in which you hear every argument, every thud, every vibration from stereos.
Do urban environments facilitate building community? Pretty sure I’ve heard people express the exact opposite, enjoying the anonymity of the big city versus the tightly knit (sometimes suffocating?) small town life where everybody knows everybody else’s business. Any modern environment can be isolating, whether suburban, urban, rural. Probably more a result of our collective decision to outsource traditional dependencies on friends, acquaintances, and family, in favor of rapid/simple economic exchanges with strangers to meet needs. Also, some people are naturally just more social than others. What you feel is suburban isolation may be another person’s peace and quiet.
I know people value the urban environment, its shops, restaurants, and other amenities. It’s no mystery to me. Likewise, it should be no mystery why some people value suburban environments. There are many good arguments for denser housing and weighing the true costs of suburban development. I am interested in those issues. But it would be helpful if urbanists acknowledge that reasonable people can weigh the pros and cons, and end up choosing the burbs. It's not so bad.
Good comment. But to clarify I don't mean "living in a detached house in a subdivision," I mean this tradeoff of leaving basically everything behind to get a house for the right price - drive till you qualify, etc. *That's* what I've not stopped and considered before, not the basic idea of suburbia. I think most urbanists understand that will always exist and there's some room for it.
I’m glad you’re asking the question, what is so bad about it? Aesthetics and housing costs aside, what might incentivize people to move to suburbs? Is it such a mystery? Having space for multigenerational caregiving, whether raising children or caring for aging parents. Some people value having a garage for hobbies such as woodworking, yards for gardening or maybe they want pets. Even those closely packed houses offer better sound proofing than many apartments, in which you hear every argument, every thud, every vibration from stereos.
Do urban environments facilitate building community? Pretty sure I’ve heard people express the exact opposite, enjoying the anonymity of the big city versus the tightly knit (sometimes suffocating?) small town life where everybody knows everybody else’s business. Any modern environment can be isolating, whether suburban, urban, rural. Probably more a result of our collective decision to outsource traditional dependencies on friends, acquaintances, and family, in favor of rapid/simple economic exchanges with strangers to meet needs. Also, some people are naturally just more social than others. What you feel is suburban isolation may be another person’s peace and quiet.
I know people value the urban environment, its shops, restaurants, and other amenities. It’s no mystery to me. Likewise, it should be no mystery why some people value suburban environments. There are many good arguments for denser housing and weighing the true costs of suburban development. I am interested in those issues. But it would be helpful if urbanists acknowledge that reasonable people can weigh the pros and cons, and end up choosing the burbs. It's not so bad.
Good comment. But to clarify I don't mean "living in a detached house in a subdivision," I mean this tradeoff of leaving basically everything behind to get a house for the right price - drive till you qualify, etc. *That's* what I've not stopped and considered before, not the basic idea of suburbia. I think most urbanists understand that will always exist and there's some room for it.