The synthesis of urban and suburban living

In the modern world, it seems that wherever there was once a field, there is now a parking lot. Corner stores have been replaced by mega-malls and quiet country roads have been exchanged for noisy, gridlocked highways. We've been taught to believe that the American dream of the suburban family and the white picket fence that permeated the first have of the twentieth century, has been traded in for corporate takeovers and high-rise apartment buildings. But is that just the way the media makes it seem, or do the real American people still want to spend Saturday afternoons mowing their lawns and tossing a baseball with the kids in the backyard? Apparently, most people want a combination of both.

Many people tend to classify themselves as either “city people” or suburbanites, but in reality, the two areas are becoming increasingly intertwined. The suburbs are attracting more and more commercial establishments every day. Art and cultural events are being integrated into the suburban motif, and just about every real estate ad claims to offer “the best of both worlds”, i.e. a quiet suburban setting that is just minutes away from shopping, restaurants and other “city-like” elements. While many of these suburbanites try to force these establishments out of their neighborhoods, just as many welcome the convenience of nearby amenities with open arms.

The economics of the suburbs and the city are also closely connected. Extended suburban economies are generally comprised of affluent neighborhoods, and “city money” is starting to drift into the periphery. This is of utmost concern to urban economists and civic authorities as well as suburban homeowners. The re-settlement trends of the past fifty years are unprecedented in the history of the modern world, which leaves us with virtually no viable foundation for predicting the long-term social and economic effects of our country’s ever-growing unification.

The question is, can suburbs of major metropolitan areas successfully operate as extensions of the city’s nucleus, or are they economically independent from the city? To tackle this question, a plethora of variables must be examined. These include socio-economic factors, distribution of wealth, accessibility to education, actions such as commuting and leisure travel, media choice about newspapers and local broadcasting, and a variety of related issues.

Modern society’s virtual epidemic of freeway construction and rapid transit has also contributed to the merging interests of urbanites and suburbanites. People no longer have to live right down the street from their workplace because they can commute much more efficiently than in the past. This has led to the inevitable propensity for city dwellers and “white picket fencers” to interact.

Many people object to this unification of cultures that is driving city and suburbs closer together, claiming that ethnic and cultural groups need to maintain their separate and distinct identities. However, this is an intrinsically racist viewpoint. People who are open minded and accepting of other cultures gladly welcome the harmonious trends which are taking place in modern America.

While people’s reasons for moving from one environment to another are as unique as the communities in which they ultimately choose to reside, certain commonalities seem to be directly influencing both city-to suburb and suburb-to-city migration. Statistics show, for example, that a remarkable percentage of this roving population is in its early to late twenties. In addition, people living in apartments are much likely to move than those who own houses. Additionally, urban residents who move from a central city to the suburbs have many noticeable differences from those who choose to move within the city limits. For instance, people who move to the suburbs are more likely to be concerned about school-related issues such as safety and academic programs. In contrast, those who find new homes within the city are usually more concerned about the cost of a new home, staying near family and friends and neighborhood racial diversity. While these assessments may seem to be rooted basically in common sense, they are still significant. After all, if we are not able to pinpoint the demographics of these transitory residents, how can we begin to understand the urban-suburban merger that is taking place?

Residential mobility has a dynamic impact on the composition of both urban and suburban environments. The fact that those with higher incomes and those with young children are moving out of the city, for example, could hurt the vitality of urban areas. Yet at the same time, and perhaps most importantly, the crossover of cultures and economic factors such as diverse consumer preferences helps to integrate people in a way that can only bring good things to American society.