Read on Twitter
OKAY BUCKLE UP NERDS ITS TIME FOR THE SUBURB THREAD
quick note: i absolutely will not be able to express all my thoughts coherently in one go so this might be a thread I add onto over time
k so first thing, the root of my issue with suburbs as a whole is something called separation of uses, that has its roots in zoning. you can not get for example easily from point a (your house) to point b (your school) easily and efficiently because of how the suburb is built
most suburbs are built like this, so they’re pretty self contained. there is nothing in this zone except single family housing. to find a different use (ie commerical things like a grocery store or public facilities like a school) you have to go to an entirely separate zone
this is where the trouble comes in. the design of the streets, and the proximity of these zones to each other means in 99% of cases the only convenient way to get to your destination is by car. to walk/bike is either too complicated or blocked by infrastructure
so you’re forced to drive to get anywhere that is not one of the other houses in your neighborhood, if you’re not up for a 20/30 minute bike ride or walk. most people aren’t. it’s vehicle oriented development, it is Not designed for the pedestrian
why is this problematic? there are a lot of reasons but a big one is that car focused infrastructure is not only inefficient but harmful to the public health and well-being, people walk less, spend more time driving, and make unnecessary trips. none of that is good.
that’s why walkability is such a buzzword, because it’s so foreign to how US cities are designed. you have a suburb in one area, a shopping complex several miles away and then the industrial sector miles away from that
this separation of uses means people have longer commute times, are forced to buy houses in HOA ruled neighborhoods, and can’t easily access services without access to a car. aside from equity issues, it’s also terrible for people’s health, mental wellbeing, and the climate
another problem with suburbs is that they are more often than not, not affordable housing. if you can’t afford a big 2 story suburb house, you’re out of luck because there’s no housing in the downtown sector. so you have to live in a different city and commute, all bc of that
if we mix uses, which is rare in us suburbs
if not nonexistent atm, then housing is more varied, more affordable, and people have access to their needs without a car, benefiting their health, traffic impacts & the climate
if not nonexistent atm, then housing is more varied, more affordable, and people have access to their needs without a car, benefiting their health, traffic impacts & the climate
this is all I have in my head at the moment, there’s so so much more, but I tried to give a brief overview for those curious 
