Why Fix What Isn't Broken

There is often a great deal of discussion on the ways in which suburbia can and should be improved or fixed, without much consideration for all of its opportunities and positive aspects.  I, myself, grew up in an extremely rural part of CT, surrounded entirely by cows, corn, and tobacco fields for miles in any direction. This is what I grew to enjoy and be comfortable living in, and so neither suburban nor urban living particularly appeal to me – at least not to ultimately settle down in one day.  I think that is to say that every individual is going to have their own preference of where they want to live, depending on the point that they are at in their lives. Those living in suburban neighborhoods are there for a reason.  Suburbia currently exists as a convenient middle ground between city life and the rural living that I am so familiar with.    By retrofitting this suburban way of life in an attempt to slowly begin to mimic this city living, that middle ground begins to disappear entirely.  Individuals will eventually be forced to choose between urban and rural living – with little choice even there as the notion of mass amounts of people transitioning to rural living is just not realistic.

I would argue that people generally move to suburban areas because it is where they want to live – it is the type of lifestyle they want, and the one they are most comfortable with.  I fully support enhancing the qualities of these communities through the addition of more permeable surfaces, green space, public space, and community centers – even repurposing abandoned buildings and malls into spaces that can be utilized by the community.  However, I don’t necessarily agree with the idea that they should be changed entirely to reflect the “ideals” of city life.  Furthermore, wouldn’t this transition ultimately just increase the cost of living that those residing in suburban neighborhoods are likely there to avoid?  In “Retrofitting Suburbia”, Jones and Williamson argue “the larger, denser, and more urban the redevelopment, the greater the ability of its designers to change the existing development pattern”.  But what if the individuals who are occupying those spaces don’t want the existing development patterns to change?  I fully understand the importance of sustainable design, and how essential it is that architects continuously work towards this in their practice, but isn’t it just as important that we are taking into account those we are designing for?

I believe there is a healthy balance that can be found here, and that there are still ways to “integrate rather than isolate” through the design of these spaces that doesn’t necessarily involve retrofitting suburban developments into small cities.  I could almost guarantee that the majority of people living in these suburban neighborhoods are there because they prefer that to city life.