Suburbs: A Very Short Introduction

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 23 February 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Well over half of all Americans and two-thirds of Canadians reside in suburbs, marking the era of the suburban revolution. Tracts of suburban bungalows encircle cities like Sydney and Melbourne, while suburban apartments emerge on the fringes of Paris, Prague, Singapore, and Beijing. Opinions on suburbs vary widely, with those who cherish dense cities deriding suburbs and those who appreciate ample yards disliking the bustling sidewalks and subways. Social scientists engage in a heated debate over whether contemporary suburbs are losing their appeal or if the purported "back-to-the-city" trend is merely a mirage, exacerbated by the uncertainty surrounding the effects of COVID-19.

Suburbs: A Very Short Introduction delves into two fundamental inquiries: the historical roots of a suburbanizing world and the profound implications of the suburban trend for society, politics, and culture. In two chapters, the book explores how the advent of new technologies such as streetcars, trains, automobiles, and the internet has enabled compact cities in Britain and the United States to expand into vast metropolitan regions. The subsequent chapters delve into the vertical suburbs of Europe and East Asia, improvised or DIY suburbs in North America, Latin America, and suburbs as hubs of employment. The book concludes by examining both criticism and praise of suburbs in popular sociology, fiction, film, and the global Americanization of twenty-first-century suburbs. This approach is grounded in history and geography, draws from various social sciences, and underscores the pivotal role of suburbs in shaping our understanding of the present and shaping our visions for the future.

Weight: 138g
Dimension: 110 x 174 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197599242