The American suburbs are better than you think
3 hours ago
- #Urban Planning
- #Suburban Living
- #Housing Policy
- The author, who prefers dense urban living, acknowledges that American suburbs have advantages that appeal to many people.
- Suburbs do not necessarily force long commutes; Americans have relatively short commutes due to polycentric urban layouts and faster car travel compared to public transit.
- Research indicates suburbs are not lonelier than cities; social connections often form through repeated interactions with known people, facilitated by larger homes and cars.
- Millennials and families are increasingly moving to suburbs, partly due to high urban rents but also because suburbs offer better conditions for raising children, such as more space and convenience.
- Urbanists should not frame cities versus suburbs as a zero-sum conflict; instead, they should advocate for both dense urban cores and improved suburban designs to cater to diverse lifestyle preferences.