The suburban spectrum: from creativity to Camazotz

The conversation about suburbia is always interesting to me. While I recognise the reasons people criticise the suburbs, and especially agree with many of the issues of inequality, sprawl, and car centrism that go with them, I also grew up in a suburb and genuinely enjoyed it. I have since spent time in higher density areas and I believe higher density mixed use environments are a better alternative essentially across the board, I can’t deny the pleasant experience of space and ownership and order that I felt growing up in my suburban neighbourhood. That said, the critique of sameness and conformity that goes along with suburbs always reminds me of Camazotz from Madeleine L’Engel’s A Wrinkle in Time and the sort of dystopian nightmare of conformity it shows. Despite the best attempts of HomeOwners' Associations to ruin everything for everyone all the time, I never felt the suburbs to be stifling or force any conformity and in fact, have always felt the space lent itself more to the defence of garages for innovation in fostering creativity and giving me opportunities to explore and create.