American suburbs
Tract homes everywhere
American suburbs are residential areas surrounding cities, characterized by single-family homes, car-dependent layouts, and lower population density than urban centers.
They expanded dramatically after World War II as highways and affordable mortgages enabled middle-class families to seek more space and better schools outside city limits.
Suburbs carry cultural connotations of conformity, safety, and whiteness, though they have grown increasingly diverse.
They moved to the suburbs when their kids started school.
- property taxesGovernment charges on land
- single-family homesStandalone dwellings for one household
- cul-de-sacsStreets closed at one end
- block partyNeighborhood outdoor celebration
- trick or treatingCostumed candy solicitation
strip malls · urban fringe · picket fences · white flight · neighborhood associations · homeowners association · soccer moms · garages · green spaces · planned communities · driveways · front yard · mortgage loans · tree-lined streets · retail chains · zoning laws · gated communities · school district
American suburbsurban core
Central metropolitan area
inner city · downtown · city center · central business district · Manhattan
American suburbsrural America
Non-urban domestic regions
farmland · small-town America · frontier settlements · wilderness · backcountry
American suburbswalkable neighborhoods
Areas navigable on foot
new urbanism · transit-oriented development · car-free zones · garden cities
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