R: Bulldoze the Suburbs

As conservatives and members of this Party, we all recognize the value of strong communities. But communities are more than just people—location and history shape our relationships with our neighbors more than we often realize.  In the past, we’ve debated the relative merits of urban and rural life in “R: Raze the Metropolis,” as well as the relationship between geography and community in “R: Go Home.” This week, we are going to discuss one of the most overlooked developments of the past 70 years of American history—the suburbs. 

On one hand, some argue that suburbs stifle the American spirit of adventure and exploration. One can go from his kitchen, to his car, to his workplace, and back to his garage without ever taking a step outside. Further, even if modern suburbs do not suffer from postwar levels of cultural and ethnic homogeneity, it may be the case that the inherently isolating nature of suburbs makes it difficult for relationships to take root and for local culture to develop. Suburbs, especially those of the stereotypical garage and white picket fence, deprive one of the simple pleasure of bumping into his neighbors—an activity full of danger and romance.

On the other hand, suburbs are a practical compromise between urban and rural life, combining the best of both worlds. In a suburb, one enjoys proximity to his fellow humans without the loud and strenuous atmosphere of a city. Suburbia gives us a little slice of nature, with its clean air and open skies, and the added convenience of the resources that cities provide. Suburbs represent the triumph of the American dream. Yes, perhaps the community weakens, but is not every house now truly its owner’s castle? Suburbs give every family a place to call their own, where they can sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree.

For those in the affirmative, is suburban life inherently unsatisfying, or merely incidentally so? Why must we “tear down” suburbia and build something new, rather than seeking to transform it into a landscape more conducive to the good life? For those in the negative, what do suburbs offer on an individual, cultural, or national level that cannot be obtained elsewhere? Is the development of suburbs symptomatic of a broader cultural shift, or have suburbs themselves produced a change in the fabric of American life? (Which came first, the suburb or the suburbanite?) Have suburbs destroyed the American dream, or fulfilled it?