Suburbia

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the development of the American suburbia in the 60s and 70s, and discusses the Federal financing that created a new way of life. It looks at the stereotypes of urban and suburban life, and the communities they built. The paper describes their class and racial structure, and the political out come of the great suburban divide, such as desegregation and riots. The author discusses the lifestyle of suburban living and its stronger communal ties than generally believed.

From the Paper:

"Since the end of the Second World War, most new development in America has taken place in Suburbia - that grey zone between the last city block and the amber waves of grain. Opinions on this uniquely 20th century innovation in human living vary. Many see a detached house, complete with a two-car garage and a swing-set as the American Dream. Others, who grew up in such an environment, seek to replace it with one that re-vitalizes or mimics traditional urban centers and villages that engender communitarian virtues while preserving the environment. To evaluate the suburb as a social phenomenon, we must look at it through the eyes of policy makers and those who have seen it evolve first-hand.

The 1960's and 1970's in America saw an urban transition still unknown in most of the major cities of Europe. The Federal Housing Administration had precipitated the explosion in suburban development by offering 4% interest loans following the Second World War. Unfortunately, the FHA actively discriminated against blacks in the procurement of new home loans, polarizing cities into two camps: the predominantly white and middle class suburbs, and predominantly poor and black inner cities. In many ways, this served to countermand national efforts at school integration. At the same time, federal highway initiatives instituted under Eisenhower in the mid-1950's made cities more accessible to suburban communities by providing them with a fast, easy commute."

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