Surburbia and Why It’s All Wrong

I’ve lived in suburban Los Angeles my whole life, with the exception of my first four years. I didn’t think much about living in the ‘burbs’ when I was a child, probably because I didn’t travel much more than a mile or two on foot or on a bicycle. As I got older and remained in the same area, I often thought about moving, mainly for a change of scenery. But, something always held me back, whether it was school or a job or a boyfriend. In the end, I met my husband here and we chose to stay put. Lately, I have read a few articles about how most suburban communities are horribly laid out. I’d have to agree.

I first noticed this suburban set-back years ago when I got my first job 15 miles from my house. I had to take the one and only freeway that ran close to my new job, the dreaded 405. I realized then that our city was not planned for the massive quantity of people that would eventually settle in LA County. However, within a year I changed jobs and took one closer to home so that I didn’t have to inch along with the thousands of others heading south on the freeway. I forgot about freeway congestion and was content with where I lived for the time being.

Then, two years ago, I really got interested in bicycling. I remembered how much I loved it as a kid and the freedom I experienced as a pre-driving-teen. I purchased a Raleigh Comfort bike and cruised the neighborhood. Soon, I was bicycling to work 6 miles north. What I also noticed was how much our streets and communities are completely car-oriented. Very few clearly marked bicycle lanes exist, even fewer drivers look for bicyclist, let alone pedestrians. I came to the conclusion that our suburban streets are dangerous for anyone not in a car. This, however, has not dissuaded me from riding  my bike. On the contrary, I feel that when I ride my bike I set a good example to others that might be thinking about riding their bike.

Urban Sprawl Repair Kit from Inhabitat Reader

My biking experience has made me realize how poorly city planners designed suburban areas. When I look at the houses in my neighborhood, all built in the early 1950′s, the garage is the predominant feature. I know that during the 1950′s almost everyone was proud to own their first car, cars were looked at as a status symbol. Young men returning from World War II were given incentives to purchase houses in the quaint suburbs, and had enough money left over to purchase the car that would get them to their distant place of work. The little wife would stay home and tend to the children and the housework. Perhaps in 1952, this seemed like the ideal life.

I wonder if they had been given a glimpse into the future (bumper-to-bumper traffic, smoggy sky’s, not a single child playing outdoors, the majority of the population suffering from obesity, hours spent commuting to and from work, large paved parking lots in lieu of greener pastures, people secluded inside their homes barely knowing their neighbors)  they would have thought twice about excepting the idea of suburbia as a great place to live. Inhabitat often posts solutions to suburban sprawl and even encourages readers to submit their solutions. Here is one solution that seems reasonable.

Maybe city planners will someday incorporate some of these innovative ideas into our towns to encourage more utility of space. If more businesses functioned in a suburban area, people wouldn’t have to travel as far to work, reducing traffic. If people worked closer to home, they could ride their bike or walk instead of drive. Our streets would become safer if more people walked or rode their bike. It would be great if this happened in my lifetime, then I could feel safer riding my bike in my community.