Sprawl seems like such an evil thing at first, and it'spolitically unpopular, but rarely are it's results andpossibilities it offers ever challenged. I thought I ponder whatthe suburban lifestyle is really about.

Environmentalists decry sprawl and the suburbs it creates, butpeople sure seem to love it. Lots of people are willing to pay a significant amount of money to live in the suburbs. Urban peoples suffering from urban blight often flee there to escape the terrible schools and the problems of urban society, including sex, drugs and rock 'n roll.

Cleaner Air, Newer Society

Suburbs are great, when you think about it a bit. Its spreadsthe population out, preventing the problems that face society thatis to closely spread together. Highly urbanized areas often haveheavy traffic and significant pollution problems. A few peoplecan't do the same kind of environmental damage that dozens can. Airquality is often significantly better, as suburbs have fewervehicles and factories in a concentrated area.

Enviably, a greater distance between people increases freedom.While few people think that suburbs are the land of the free, theyoffer some distinct advantages to the big city. Suburbs usuallylack the historical baggage of cities; they are without politicalmachines and buildings that can't be easily torn down. They allowfor extensive use of the automobile, which ever so greatthing-ma-bobber that will take you anywhere a public road will takeyou, at any time. A well designed suburb will distribute traffic ina way that allows for people to go wherever they want, withoutsignificant delay or danger.

The Grid is Where It's At

I think it will help if our suburbs become more like the citythey are replacing, at least in some regards. To allow foreffective traffic movement, parallel streets are a must, as is agrid like in the city, is essential. Likewise, parking needs to beavailable in suburbs, including parallel parking. This must have straightforward rules, and reasonable parking fines to ensure thatpeople are free to go as they please.

All suburbs need to have highways within a couple of miles, toensure fast and effective movement of traffic. Keeping trafficmoving at a fast speed, with little or no stopping, is a good wayto reduce pollution. An idling engine, is one that is pollutingwith no benefit to society. Hybrids will help, but they won't endpollution at idle (cars must still use power at idle for heat, A/C,radio, brake lights, etc.). Not to mention the waste of time.

Societies of Consumption?

I guess it's easy to belittle suburbs are being little more thensocieties where consumption dominates the mentality of the society.I guess there is probably a lot of truth in that—it's theclassic problem with people doing things without thinkingcompletely through the consequences before acting. I think all ofus are guilty of over-indulgence of some form or another. With allthat trash pondering out there, trying to win over the least commondominator of society, it's not surprising that some people actuallyfall for it.

Are all suburbanites empty minded drones lost in the culture ofconsumption? Somehow I suspect not. Few stereotypes prove true forall members of the group, and probably not even the majority ofthem. The sales stats don't show the world dominated by yuppiesdriving SUVs‹most people in 'burbs are probably not theyuppies that the stereotype shows them to be.

Could it be that many of these people are actually those justtrying to make it, and maybe even trying to find the definition offreedom in some kind of preverse fashion? As previously noted, thesuburbs enjoy some freedoms that city slickers don't get. Maybethey wish to live out where they can control more of the aspects oftheir lives, but they don't the money or the resources toescape.

Farmland and Open Space in Trouble By Sprawl?

Well, yes and no. While many of us would like to think otherwise, that farm probably has to go, and the land has to become subdivided. Like that country music song about when country ain't country no more, times change and things can't always stay the same.

But the good news is that there is other open spaces around—abit farther away from the city and suburbs. It's only natural for certain freedoms to decline. Does anybody really want to run a farm where people are complaining about the smell and noise, and are abusing your animals and crops?

Seriously, I don't see sprawl to be that big of deal. We can always move west or east or whereever. There is always more property avalible. At least for now, before it's not all taken up by those silly back-to-nature hippies. Give'm a few years, and there children will be full acclimaterated to urbanization, or maybe society will change.