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Why Suburbia Sucks

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Re: Why Suburbia Sucks

#151

Post by coned88 »

terda12 wrote: post #135

I agree. I live in suburbia and I feel like I'm slowly choked out of my humanity. Can't wait to move to a damn city or somewhere with more density. America's suburbia was designed for cars and cars only. Here's an anecdote. My little brother has after school band practice 30 mins drive away. What does he do after school? He can't walk home, so he has to wait for me to pick him up. He can't go out to a movie with his…

On the other hand if he was allowed to walk home your parents would likely be arrested for child abuse.

Re: Why Suburbia Sucks

#152

Post by criddell »

aquadrop wrote: post #48
CameronBanga wrote: post #20

I'm trying to find words to describe my distain for this article, but I can't think of anything that isn't seen as a direct attack on the author, which isn't my goal. Basically America is bad because we had space for cars when they were invented? There are plenty of places in America where you can get by without a car. I live in "suburbia". A small city of 30,000 in Indiana called Valparaiso. We have a vibrant downto…

I sometimes do short virtual walks around the globe on google street view (to clear mind) and your town is probably the best small town I saw (not in rich areas at least), Chicago area is probably the place I'd want to live in, if I was in USA :)

I'm guessing Google street view doesn't do a lot of photography between November and March.

Re: Why Suburbia Sucks

#153

Post by ZenoArrow »

to3m wrote: post #125
ZenoArrow wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think the same criticisms of suburbia apply to rural areas. The main issue I personally have with suburbia can be summed up in one word; boredom. Nothing interesting to see, not much that's interesting to do. Rural life on the other hand is far better, the act of living rurally is engaging, and the sights and sounds of nature are far more interesting than the sights of identikit housing and the muffled sounds…

The smell? My main memories of visiting Venice (20 years ago...) were also: general lack of greenery, not many open spaces, and a pervasive delapidated shabbiness. Also, it's built on marshland. So I'm not sure the good city planning bit applies either ;) Also, constant churn of tourists... not sure how I'd feel about that as a parent. But if I had one of those grand Venetian apartments I might be OK about living the…

Okay, perhaps Venice wasn't the best example. How about Barcelona?

Re: Why Suburbia Sucks

#154

Post by esoteric_nonces »

I like wide open spaces and I'd live in the forest with no-one around for miles if I had the means and a suitable plot.

Land, or at least a small garden or garage (in order of decreasing usefulness), is incredibly useful for woodworking, mechanical tinkering, painting large objects, basically any sort of real world craft that's not 'micro'.

My social life is less important than the ability for me to sit on that bit of land that's mine and do things that I want to do.

The urban equivalent of that seems to be going to find a specialist to do whatever you want doing. Basically, urban living is capitalism embodied - you can get some fantastic things done, better than you could ever do yourself, but you're trading for it. And you have to take part in the economy too.

Re: Why Suburbia Sucks

#155

Post by Semiapies »

bardworx wrote: post #109
Retric wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Reconquest' of city's has far more components than most people assume. Gay community who mostly don't need good schools. Bad traffic to make suburbs less appealing. Video Games to keep young people entertained and not out damaging the community. Vastly reduced Lead levels to reduce violence. Reduced pollution to make city's livable. etc etc. Even the loss of manufacturing and retail jobs has been a net gain for city…

> Vastly reduced Lead levels to reduce violence Can you expand on that statement? Do you imply bullets (as in higher prices and gun control) when you refer to Lead or literally the reduction of the metal Lead in paint, etc. And how is it linked to violence?

There's a hypothesis out there, pushed by a few researchers citing each other (including one Bell Curve fan), that environmental lead from leaded gas and such caused reduced IQ and greater criminality among urban residents.

It's not actually a remotely mainstream view among any sort of scientist. However, it has a lot of currency among left-of-center people uncomfortable with the legacy of urban renewal (aka "bulldoze functional poor neighborhoods and stuff everyone in a housing project, then be surprised that things go badly") and the race-baiting nature of "tough on crime" measures that both parties adopted.

Re: Why Suburbia Sucks

#156

Post by terda12 »

coned88 wrote: post #151
terda12 wrote: post #135

I agree. I live in suburbia and I feel like I'm slowly choked out of my humanity. Can't wait to move to a damn city or somewhere with more density. America's suburbia was designed for cars and cars only. Here's an anecdote. My little brother has after school band practice 30 mins drive away. What does he do after school? He can't walk home, so he has to wait for me to pick him up. He can't go out to a movie with his…

On the other hand if he was allowed to walk home your parents would likely be arrested for child abuse.

You realize children walk home from school all over the world right? This isn't something new.

Re: Why Suburbia Sucks

#157

Post by coned88 »

ChicagoDave wrote: post #33

I'd agree about the negative impact of suburbia for completely different reasons. The culture created by it has the nature of a bubble where its occupants don't ever interact with anyone "different". Clothes, jobs, mannerisms, jokes, religions, activities, food...are all the same. This dulls people's sense of empathy in a considerable and damaging way. Instead of being able to think critically and with empathy, subur…

It's well shown that diversity hurts civic life in communities. All at the same time being a great thing for businesses. http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/08/...

Sorry but forced integration is not going to make things better. There's a reason even diverse cities like NYC are still pretty segregated by neighborhood.

Re: Why Suburbia Sucks

#158

Post by mattmcknight »

hasenj wrote: post #51

One thing I can't fathom about cities in North America is this sharp division between residential areas and shopping areas. I'm by no means a world expert, but the places I've been to (Middle East where I grew up, Japan which I visited a couple of times) don't have this sharp distinction. Sure, there are residential areas and there are shopping areas, but every residential area will have many small shops here and the…

Walking to the grocery store sounds ridiculous to me. Even when I could see one from my house I never walked there to do the weekly shopping. I typically buy more than I can carry. I guess it depends on whether you have a big family or not...

Re: Why Suburbia Sucks

#159

Post by coned88 »

terda12 wrote: post #156
coned88 wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand if he was allowed to walk home your parents would likely be arrested for child abuse.

You realize children walk home from school all over the world right? This isn't something new.

not in America anymore.

Re: Why Suburbia Sucks

#160

Post by op00to »

TulliusCicero wrote: post #62
increment_i wrote: post #18

Suburbia exists because people want a quiet, relatively safe place for their kids to grow up. I didn't realize this until I had children myself. I remember reaching my teenage years and cursing the dull, boring, culturally bankrupt suburbian neighborhood I grew up in. I left the minute it became feasible. Fast forward to now, and I'm right back in the 'burbs, in a house where my kids have access to safe streets, park…

> Fast forward to now, and I'm right back in the 'burbs, in a house where my kids have access to safe streets, parks, and decent schools. You seem to be confused. The article is saying that American suburbs are particularly poorly designed, not that suburbs as a general rule are terrible. Here is Gröbenzell, a suburb just west of Munich that's surrounded by farmland: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Gr%C3%B6benzell,…

Those tight, transit attached suburbs exist. Look to inner ring suburbs around northeastern cities. I live a in a safe, quiet neighborhood with parks, great schools, interesting restaurants, etc. I'm 10 minute walk from a 24 hour metro that takes me to a major urban center in less than 20 minutes.
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