ABSTRACT
In this volume, we argue that the study of the suburbs – their people, places, patterns, and processes – requires an interdisciplinary perspective that integrates social scientific inquiries with humanistic approaches. No matter how we spatially define the suburb, the concept of the suburb as a spatial unit of analysis brings together a systematic framework to study these places.
We explore the suburban context in four parts: defining and describing the suburbs; considering global perspectives on the suburbs; exploring diversity, exclusion, and poverty in the suburbs; and reflecting on the planning and public policy debates shaping the future of suburbia. We conclude by considering a future global research agenda that examines issues of globalization and urbanization; migration; social movements and the right to the city and suburb; and resilience and security of the suburbs.
