ABSTRACT
Riverside and Lake Forest had large homes along curving lanes; Cicero and Berwyn were laid out in a perpendicular grid pattern with rows of bungalows. Suburbia was not uniform in class, economics, morals, or appearance. Suburbia thus includes not only the stereotypical shopping mall and housing subdivision, but virtually everything else as well. It is as varied as the nation as a whole, with landmarks from every century, people of all types, and a full range of businesses, employment, and shopping. Traffic and congestion are a threat to this freedom of mobility, and are thus the chief complaints among suburban foes of development. Suburbanites spend billions on open space preservation in communities that already have ample open space and to protect the habitat of species about which few really care. The most basic issue facing suburban Americans is how to balance the interests of the newcomers and naysayers and ensure the advantages of suburban life for both.
