City or Suburbs? Part III

If you read the previous post, you know that the suburbs are in grave danger due to the impending oil crisis. Maybe you're one of those people that are just not worried about that. You don't really think about this because you're sure that someone will come up with an answer. Ok fine, if you're going to ignore that, let's look at the other issues faced by the 'burbs.

First of all let's talk about your health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average suburban adult is 6.3 pounds heavier than the average urban adult. In 1969, 50% of kids walked or biked to school. In 2001, 90% were driven to school (due to low density suburban design). Many recent studies are beginning to link features of suburban sprawl such as shopping centers and a lack of sidewalks and bike trails to deadly health problems. Do you see something ironic about the fact that so many people drive to the gym?

In addition to your physical health, there's plenty of people that believe the suburbs are bad for your mental and spiritual health. Just look at pop culture, the parodies of suburban life are everywhere. Very coincidentally, and ironic, is the fact that my new favorite band 'The Arcade Fire' just released an album titled...what else...'The Suburbs'. I told it was ironic! It's an amazing album and has the additional benefit of subtly exposing suburban idiosyncrasies.

Plenty of other bands have taken on this task, as have TV shows, movies and comedians. Ever notice how the biggest TV shows in the 70's and 80's were all about the fantastic life in the suburbs. Yet in the last two decades the biggest shows were all in the city! Think about it, what was popular then: The Brady Bunch, Leave it to Beaver, Happy Days, Father Knows Best, etc. And lately: E.R., Friends, Seinfeld, Sex in the City, Fraser. Hmmmm...think that means anything?

While doing my research for this paper I made an amazing discovery. There are books written about the empty suburban life. One that stood out in particular was Death by Suburb, How to Keep the Suburbs from Killing your Soul This is a religious book written by David L. Goetz who lives in the suburbs with his family. On the back cover we see the following:

“In his exploration and examination of faith and the suburban life, Goetz delves into what every suburbanite knows but is terrified to say out loud: the life that people appear to posses and the life they actually lead are two very different things. Goetz is a suburban “insider,” so his spiritual advice is neither theoretical nor abstract. He has experienced the emptiness himself. This book is filled with stories of ordinary people who have found a way to live what he calls the “thicker life” while residing in today’s supposed suburban utopia.”

Um, what?!!? Ok if that isn't telling then I don't know what is. Certainly I know that not all suburbanites feel this way, nor live this way. But I think many of us might be surprised how many do. And if that's not enough, stayed tuned for Part IV- more alarming discoveries...