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Enduring Features of the North American Suburb: Built Form, Automobile Orientation, Suburban Culture and Political Mobilization
[journal article]
Abstract As any social phenomenon, the evolution of suburbs can be seen as at the confluence of two contradictory sets of forces. There are first forces of change, which propel suburbs in new directions. Much of the present literature on suburbs highlights suburban transitions in the form of social and econo... view more
As any social phenomenon, the evolution of suburbs can be seen as at the confluence of two contradictory sets of forces. There are first forces of change, which propel suburbs in new directions. Much of the present literature on suburbs highlights suburban transitions in the form of social and economic diversification, and of new forms of development. The article attempts to rebalance the discourse on suburbs by emphasizing forces of durability. It does not deny the importance of observed suburban transitions, but argues that there is, at the heart of North American suburbs, an enduring automobility-induced transportation dynamic, which reverberates on most aspects of suburbs. The article explores the mechanisms undergirding suburban durability by linking the suburban transportation dynamic to the self-reproductive effects of a suburban lifestyle and culture and their political manifestations. These forces impede planning attempts to transform suburbs in ways that make them more environmentally sustainable. To empirically ground its argument, the article draws on two Toronto region case studies illustrating processes assuring the persistence of the durable features of North American suburbs: the layout of large suburban multifunctional centres and the themes raised by Rob Ford during his successful 2010 mayoralty electoral campaign.... view less
Keywords
North America; Canada; outskirts; traffic; motor vehicle; urban planning
Classification
Area Development Planning, Regional Research
Free Keywords
Toronto; automobile dependence; land use; suburb; super grid; transportation
Document language
English
Publication Year
2018
Page/Pages
p. 4-14
Journal
Urban Planning, 3 (2018) 4
Issue topic
Urban Planning and the Suburbs: Solutions for Sustainability from the Edges
ISSN
2183-7635
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed