Suburbanization

Definition

Suburbanization is the process of population and economic growth in the suburban areas surrounding major urban centers. It involves the migration of people and businesses from the city to the outlying suburbs, driven by factors such as availability of land, lower cost of living, and the desire for a more spacious, residential lifestyle.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Suburbanization accelerated in the United States after World War II, driven by factors like the availability of affordable housing, the rise of the automobile, and government policies that incentivized suburban development.
2. The construction of the interstate highway system and the availability of federally-backed mortgages through programs like the GI Bill and Federal Housing Administration loans made it easier for Americans to purchase homes in the suburbs.
3. Suburbanization contributed to the decline of inner cities, as businesses and middle-class residents left urban areas, leading to a concentration of poverty, crime, and social challenges in many cities.
4. The growth of suburbs was often accompanied by racial and economic segregation, as wealthier, white residents moved out of cities, leaving behind lower-income, minority populations.
5. Suburbanization has had significant environmental impacts, including increased reliance on automobiles, sprawling land use patterns, and the loss of open space and farmland.

Review Questions

• Describe how suburbanization was influenced by government policies and technological advancements in the post-World War II era.
  • Suburbanization was heavily influenced by government policies and technological advancements in the post-World War II era. The construction of the interstate highway system, the availability of federally-backed mortgages through programs like the GI Bill and Federal Housing Administration loans, and the rise of the automobile made it easier and more affordable for Americans to purchase homes in the suburbs. These factors, combined with the desire for more spacious, residential living outside of crowded urban centers, led to a significant migration of population and economic activity from cities to surrounding suburban areas.
• Explain how suburbanization contributed to the decline of inner cities and the concentration of poverty and social challenges in urban areas.
  • As wealthier, white residents moved out of cities to the suburbs, it led to a decline of inner cities. Businesses and middle-class residents left urban areas, resulting in a concentration of poverty, crime, and social challenges in many cities. This exodus of population and economic activity from cities to the suburbs exacerbated urban decline, as cities were left with a dwindling tax base and a higher proportion of low-income residents who required more social services. The racial and economic segregation that often accompanied suburbanization further marginalized urban populations and contributed to the growing divide between cities and their surrounding suburbs.
• Analyze the environmental impacts of suburbanization and how it has shaped land use patterns and transportation systems in the United States.
  • Suburbanization has had significant environmental impacts, including increased reliance on automobiles, sprawling land use patterns, and the loss of open space and farmland. The growth of suburbs, which were often designed around the automobile, has led to a heavy dependence on cars for transportation, contributing to air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and traffic congestion. Suburban development has also resulted in the conversion of rural and natural areas into residential and commercial spaces, leading to the loss of valuable ecosystems and agricultural land. This sprawling pattern of growth has increased the distances between homes, workplaces, and other destinations, making it more difficult to implement sustainable transportation options like public transit, walking, and cycling. The environmental consequences of suburbanization have become a major challenge for policymakers and urban planners to address in the 21st century.

Related terms

Decentralization: The shift of population, economic activity, and power away from a central urban area to surrounding suburban and exurban regions.

White Flight: The movement of white residents from urban areas to the suburbs, often in response to increased racial diversity or perceived social and economic decline in the city.

Commuter Culture: The lifestyle and transportation patterns of suburban residents who commute from their homes to work in the urban core or other employment hubs.