Cities aren't the only alternative to suburbs
Growing up in a small town of <3,000 people, I didn't really encounter suburbs until college. My town doesn't share a border with any other towns, just farmland. Despite not living in a city, I never felt deprived of living a healthy or fulfilling life there. In fact, it was (and still is when I go home to visit) a pleasant experience.
I felt very independent living in a small town. While everyone has a car, it isn't necessary when living there. I easily got around by bike, and yes, everyone in town had a large yard to play in, but that didn't stop us from playing in the street anyways. The high school in town didn't have a cafeteria, so students were allowed to leave campus for lunch. Most just walked down the street to a fast food joint down the street. There wasn't really crime there, so parents felt safe letting their children run around unsupervised. It wasn't perfect, however, and there are trade-offs for living in a small town. Everyone knows everyone, so in some aspect you give up a a degree of privacy. When something happens, it's the talk of the (literal) town. Also if a small town doesn't have a specific amenity, you have to drive far to get to it. Movie theaters, shopping malls, a decent furniture store. Actually, at one time my town had all of these, but Wal-Mart moved in well, you know....
I think it's important to remember that cities are not the only alternative to suburbs. City living is great, and I love it too, but nearly 20% of the US still lives in small towns. Suburbs suck because they lack diversity. But city types themselves should be diverse as well, and this includes addressing rural life as an alternative and sustainable alternative to suburbs.
I felt very independent living in a small town. While everyone has a car, it isn't necessary when living there. I easily got around by bike, and yes, everyone in town had a large yard to play in, but that didn't stop us from playing in the street anyways. The high school in town didn't have a cafeteria, so students were allowed to leave campus for lunch. Most just walked down the street to a fast food joint down the street. There wasn't really crime there, so parents felt safe letting their children run around unsupervised. It wasn't perfect, however, and there are trade-offs for living in a small town. Everyone knows everyone, so in some aspect you give up a a degree of privacy. When something happens, it's the talk of the (literal) town. Also if a small town doesn't have a specific amenity, you have to drive far to get to it. Movie theaters, shopping malls, a decent furniture store. Actually, at one time my town had all of these, but Wal-Mart moved in well, you know....
I think it's important to remember that cities are not the only alternative to suburbs. City living is great, and I love it too, but nearly 20% of the US still lives in small towns. Suburbs suck because they lack diversity. But city types themselves should be diverse as well, and this includes addressing rural life as an alternative and sustainable alternative to suburbs.
Rural towns are definitely an alternative, but remember:
ReplyDeletecities > suburbs > rural
Can you explain what metric you're ranking those on? Do you just mean by size or by quality of living?
DeleteI meant how they're always characterised from the usual city-centric point of view. Also when looking at sustainability not just in terms of economic feasibility, but environmentally - the individual carbon footprint in a city is less than in a suburb, and presumably less than in a rural town.
ReplyDeleteActually, I am so jealous that you could grow up in such a beautiful small town. Since I was grown up in a crowded city in China, I do feel it's really a good choice for kids and old people live in the rural area. But the rural area in China is not as good as what we have in the U.S. The infrastructure in suburb or rural in the U.s. is much better and people could also have good life quality. As for the big city, it's like more opportunities.
ReplyDeleteI always imagined that one day I would get old and too tired to deal with the crazier, busier lifestyle that the city demands. One day I could definitely see myself moving to a small town. It sounds nice.
ReplyDelete