Suburbia: Selling a Dream

            We have all heard of the American Dream– the ideal that the economic and social equality of America offers everyone a chance for prosperity and happiness– and we are all aware of its connection with the suburbs.  The suburbs are America’s mythical Place Between Places, where the convenience of city dwelling meets the wholesome pleasure of rural life.  These are places that were based on dreams– such as the Rural Ideal– and could in fact be argued to be dreams themselves.  The Rural Ideal is, according to an article written by Larry D. Barnette for the Journal of Biosocial Science: “… the strong desire to live in areas of low population density and close to nature.”  It is an idea largely based on pastoral beliefs prominent in American society.  Consider this: When is the last time you saw a commercial advertising laundry soap or children’s vitamins that centered around a happy, healthy inner-city family?  Chances are, you’ve never seen such a thing in your life.  If a commercial wishes to project an image of a wholesome, family-friendly product, it is likely to be set in a rural or suburban home.  It may display images of children gallivanting through a green meadow or freshly washed clothes blowing on a clothesline, but it will not involve kids playing in an apartment while their mother tosses the laundry into the dryer.

            This is all part of the dream of suburbia– an ideal family life that many Americans chase throughout much of their adulthoods.  When Americans buy mini-mansions in manicured neighbourhoods, it is a dream that is sold to them, not merely a house.  The suburbs are thought to be a place for families, and a place where wholesomeness and happiness are supposedly easier to come by.

            Nothing I have said thus far is surprising, but what I write now may be.  I will admit to experiencing a certain amount of shock when I discovered how long suburbs had existed.  In the 1850’s architects began designing a new sort of dwelling– “picturesque enclaves.”  The word picturesque needs no explanation, but the word enclave may be unfamiliar to some.  It is defined in Merriam Webster’s dictionary as “a distinct territorial, cultural, or social unit enclosed within or as if within foreign territory.”  The term could be applied to many suburban neighborhoods today, as they are walled communities with internal social structures and rules.  The enclaves of the mid-nineteenth century were similar to suburbs in another way as well.  In her book Building Suburbia Delores Hayden describes these Picturesque Enclaves as being “borderlands” between cities and rural areas, which supposedly gave residents the best of both worlds.  They were refined and fashionable like city dwellings, but provided landscaped gardens and little yards which gave the illusion of being closer to nature.  Anyone who has ever seen a modern upscale suburban neighborhood will likely agree that this all sounds very familiar.  In fact, Hayden asserts that these enclaves were, indeed, the predecessors of modern suburbs.

            Perhaps it is merely human nature to chase unattainable perfection, or perhaps our society has long demanded that we try to balance the natural existence we crave with the necessary modern reality of city life.  Perhaps variations on the suburban dream have existed since the first cities were built.  I cannot be certain, but I am sure that as long as there are young families in America, people will keep seeking the “perfect suburb” as they chase the suburban dream.