When I look around and try to think of all of the things that are causing a negative impact on our environment—environment not just representing the plants and animals that inhabit a place, but also the way that space affects society living within it—when I think about these things, I can’t help but see the suburbs of America as a model of what not to do in terms of combating these environmental catastrophes.
So what is so bad about them?
1. Isolation- this is one of the biggest, or rather the root of many of the other problems that will follow. The format of modern housing forces its residents into a life of alienation from their “community.” They wake up in their box, leave by entering their attached garage and getting inside their car, usually alone, and driving to the destination, parking in the lot which does not promote friendly conversation with passers-by (unless wants to get hit by another car or piss off a lot of people) and then quickly enters the location. When at home, one is not motivated to get to know the neighbors and instead exists inside the box as if it were the only one around. Activities often include watching television, playing video games, doing work/homework, eating, etc. Essentially, things that do not promote new experiences with others (or even the recognition that others exist) and also waste vast resources for only one person.
2. Which leads me to another huge and pertinent problem with the suburbs and that is their energy consumption. The detached and often poorly insulated house usually takes much more energy to heat and cool than an apartment in the city or other more condensed housing. It also typically performs these actions throughout the entire house (commonly two to three stories, plus a basement) rather than selected rooms. The space to person ratio is much larger, equaling to greater energy required for fewer people. Also, the fact that one generally needs to drive to most locations means more miles (gas) that the car uses, or even simply the need for a car.
3. Many of these homes (and cars) are built with a short lifespan and also non-biodegradable materials. There is no real consideration in the quality or the durability of the materials used, but instead emphasis is placed on cheap materials and speedy construction. When the house begins to degrade, the old is both thrown away and replaced or the house is sold and the residents will usually move into a newer subdivision.
4. So aside from the energy problems that the isolated home creates, this design is one that promotes a feeling of acceptance in the lack of community togetherness. But this in turn leads to narrow-mindedness, greed, violence and an overall lack of understanding or just apathetic attitude towards one’s neighbors. Basically, how can one be expected to indulge in the problems of another or even understand different viewpoints when that person has never even had a conversation with, perhaps has never even seen his neighbor?
5. In the same way, things that are considered so basic such as the ability, or opportunity, to carry on an interesting and rewarding conversation or even just the variety and uniqueness of one’s daily activities are inhibited by suburban isolationism. Days mesh into weeks and suddenly a person finds himself only living to cross off another day on the calendar, as if living should be a chore, rather than an experience.
Fortunately, there are a variety of factors that are causing people to reconsider living in these settings. One major reason has to do with transportation. Many people no longer want to live in a place where there is a significant commute to work (work typically being closer to a city) not only for environmental reasons linked to gas consumption, but also because of oil’s influence on our foreign policy. People are having fewer children and thus may be more inclined to live in an environment that is not as suited to raising a family, but is closer in range to basic necessities.
With this, it seems as though there would be a mass die-out of modern-day subdivisions. It has been suggested that these areas would be taken over the people who could have originally not been able to afford to live there and would have the housing turned into multiple-family homes. It is also argued that vacant, for-sale houses may simply just be taken over unofficially and used as drug houses and the like.
As a reaction to this downfall, which I feel is necessary, although may cause worse conditions if not handled correctly, I propose an idea that I feel will solve many of the fundamental problems with the suburban lifestyle and would improve the quality of life of all people choosing to live there. My plan is somewhat fantastical as it would not have much of a monetary value to society, and money is what controls the creation of generally all things in our society.
Nevertheless, I propose the destruction of the suburbs in an effort to restore the destruction of the natural habitat while at the same time creating dwellings for people that work symbiotically with what is around them. These areas would be removed of their man-made materials and the re-growth of trees and other native species would be encouraged. The materials (wood, doors, windows, bricks, scrap metal) would later be used in conjunction with the materials found in nature to create unique hand-built shelters that are designed and built by the members of the community. This alone would be beneficial to the people in the idea that when you make something yourself, you tend to appreciate it more. It would give poorer classes new opportunities because the construction of the homes/tree houses wouldn’t necessarily cost them any money, especially If these areas were zoned for redevelopment. Also, if everyone works together to build their community, and if no one owns the materials, then no one person can hold the title of “property owner,” thus extinguishing some of the barriers, or rather eliminating some of the traps used to keep people performing certain roles in society.
The people living in these areas would exist in a tribe-like community setting. It is through this that space can be conserved, as there wouldn’t be a need for one of everything for everyone. This also lessens the overall daily work required of each individual because people would need to work together in order to survive. Opportunities for friendship would form and the overall isolationism of the suburban lifestyle would be diminished.
I am not suggesting a total renunciation of modern-day life and I feel that the areas in which this proposal would work best would be areas in which there is already some form of mass-transit leading into the suburban communities from within the cities. This would allow those who chose to continue to work in the city or simply others who may want to occasionally enjoy a modern lifestyle the opportunity to travel there easily but without the use of cars or other similar means.
Besides the overall boost in the psychological quality of life one would experience, it seems as though life expectancy in general would increase for various reasons. Some of the health hazards that would be eliminated or greatly reduced would be:
-an obvious decrease in motor-vehicle accidents because cars would not exist in the community
-deaths caused by heart disease, stroke, diabetes (other health problems related to unhealthy food habits and a lack of exercise) because community members would be able to grow most of their own food
-poor air quality would be decreased with cars eliminated and an increase in plant life as well as increased air flow throughout the areas
-poverty (lack of quality food, shelter, education and support) would be improved as food and shelter would always be easy to obtain and education systems could be set up within the community. Support for one’s emotional well-being would be realized by the people living in the close-knit community
-homicide would seemingly decrease as overall happiness increases as well as understanding of those around one’s self
In addition to all of that, being in nature is shown to increase happiness, allows the person to be on a more natural cycle, and instills a greater sense of respect for the earth. Plus, dirt (or the scent of) releases endorphins in the brain!
