Everyone lives in a place, whether it be their own house, an apartment, or a mansion. Your area of residence is called your living place. The place where you live could be suburb or downtown. However, many people are just aware of the main cities and might wonder where are the suburbs located. Hence, a discussion on suburban community characteristics becomes imperative.
1. What are Suburbs?
A suburb or suburban area is a cluster of properties that are primarily residential but not densely compacted. They are located very near to an urban area or just outside a metro city. Suburbs are not only what we define as urban areas, but also, do not have features of a rural area. These exist either as part of a city or an urban area and can often have a huge number of employment opportunities. They might have their own rules and political or legal jurisdiction.
2. Where are the Suburbs?
So, where are the suburbs located in your country?
- Some of the metropolitan cities might have suburbs within the commuting distance, especially in the United States.
- But this may not always be the case. In the United Kingdom, the suburban area can be located within the administrative boundaries of cities.
Moreover, in countries where English is the native language, suburbs can be termed as part of an area that is near a city. But, in countries speaking Australian English and South African English, suburban area has gravitated towards a word with meaning as neighborhood. (See What City in the United States uses the AreaAcode 800?)
3. What is the Origin of Suburbs?
Suburbs had their earliest appearance with the rise of the very first urban settlements. There were tall walled towns that were focused on growing co-dependent relationships between smaller villages and the market town.
- However, the term suburban was first coined by Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman statesman, philosopher & lawyer. It was a reference to the big mansions built by the wealthy estates of Rome on the outskirts of the city.
- In the late 18th century, after the rural people migrated rapidly towards the industry, there was a trend in which members of the newly rich middle classes started purchasing properties outside of London.
- This trend accelerated through the 19th century, especially in cities like Birmingham.
4. What are Suburban Community Characteristics?
These communities tend to be the more affluent ones, enjoying the highest social-economic status when ranked with the rural and urban populations. The count of job opportunities in a suburb exceeds that of a rural area but is less than that in an urban area. Moreover, people living in suburban communities tend to be more educated. The residents seem to have better health and good life expectancy than rural or inner-city residents. They also have access to more health benefits.
5. What are the Effects of Suburbs on Federal Residence?
In the 20th century, several residential district areas, particularly those which were not among the political boundaries of the town began to ascertain independence from the city center as qualitative assets. In some cases, residential districts saw self-rule as a method to keep those people out who couldn’t afford the additional suburban property maintenance required. The use of redlining by banks and alternate disposal facilities, as well as federal incentives for residential area development, expedited this strategy.
Thus, in some cities, such as Miami and Metropolis, the central town is far smaller than the surrounding residential district regions, leaving the town with only a fraction of the metro area population and size. (See 6 Most Liberal Cities in the United States)
6. What are the Misconceptions About Suburbs?
- Suburban community characteristics portrayed in popular culture are often shown to have a slow-paced living.
- It is also commonly associated with families and not with individuals or young couples due to where are the suburbs located usually.
All this is, however, not true. Since many young, single professionals prefer to live in a house with more space and different rooms for home and office at a cheaper cost. Also, suburbs are preferred because it is much more comfortable than living in a small expensive apartment in a big city.
