give the people what they want
Despite the wishes of many architects, suburbs remain a popular option among Americans. Architects oppose suburbs for many reasons including sustainability, aesthetics, and the opportunities for socialization, so why do many people like suburbs? Convenience, ownership, and privacy are some of the leading factors. Suburbs can be built with speed and fit conveniently into the American culture, making them an easy choice for many people. Ownership plays a large role, people want to feel empowered to customize their space. This is more achievable in a house you own rather than an apartment. Lastly, people love the privacy and hate sharing walls with loud neighbors, making a house in the burbs an obvious choice. So given all the pros, how can architects adapt urban living to help achieve these values? Can these values be maintained with more density? Or do we need to just add alternative pros to urban living that will outweigh these?
You raise an interesting point about the popularity of suburbs and the reasons why people choose to live there. It challenges architects to consider how urban living can incorporate the values of convenience, ownership, and privacy that suburbs provide while also addressing sustainability, aesthetics, and socialization.
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