For the "Little Boxes"

Margaret Crawford’s text, “Little Boxes,” was quite refreshing to read, as it was an argument for the sprawling, suburban landscapes that so many people detest for fear of mass conformity, collapse of the individual, and the status quo. While I am a skeptic to the idea of “cookie-cutter” houses that all look identical on a block, I do not believe that this is any indication of a negative impact on society. While suburban communities are less dense, they are not necessarily less diverse as they as they attract middle class, working class, poor, white, black, Hispanic, and Pilipino alike. Historically speaking, these “tract” houses attracted diversity because they were affordable, giving more people access to what was considered the “American Dream” at the time. These homes, contrary to a rented unit in the urban context, were flexible; people could adapt them to their individual needs, for growth and change. Margaret Crawford points out that some of the brightest and most innovative individuals have come from these sprawling communities, so they cannot be all bad. I think it is important to put the arguments against suburban landscapes in perspective: both urban and suburban have their positives and negatives, so I am not sure that we can say one is better than the other. Each have a way of supporting strong, healthy, and resilient communities.