Customer Reviews

Building Suburbia: Green Fields and Urban Growth, 1820-2000

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a readable and enlightening history of the American phenomena of suburbia, from the mid-1800s to the 1970s. It clearly shows how the government and communities subsidized builders and developers, who, in turn, left it up to taxpayers to support the cost of new streets, sewers, and all the other infrastructure needed to support ever-expanding suburbs.

The author did in an excellent job in presenting a variety of issues. In my opinion though, her stronger suit is the historical aspect rather than some of later subjects she delves into in the text. It was refreshing to have a feminist critique, but this is more developed in the first part of the text and less interesting or less confined to the latter chapters. Paraphrasing another reviewer, there are parts of the text which begin to feel mechanical, again the latter part of the text.

Despite stylistic critiques, I believe the text to be very good and importantly, recent in scope.

Building Suburbia is a capable synthesis of historical and recent scholarship on the development of the suburbs in America. Hayden, a professor of architecture and urbanism and professor of American Studies at Yale, knows what she is talking about. It was clear to me that this book is written for a general, rather then specialized audience.

Hayden's writting style is easy to understand, and she provides multiple in text illustrations and photographs to illuminate the text. The book tracks the historical development of suburbs in time (the subtitle is "Green Fields and Urban Growth 1820-2000.) She starts with "Borderlands", then covers "Picturesque Enclaves", "Streetcar Buildouts", "Mail-Order and Self-Built Suburbs", "Sitcom Subrurbs", "Edge Nodes" and "Rural Fringes". This historical approach is book ended by an introduction with two chapters and a conclusion with two chapters.

Hayden includes excellent end notes and a selected bibliography that is worthwhile to have on your shelf. Since this book was written in 2003, the bibliography is chock full of RECENT books on urban studies that allow the student or casual reader to follow up in any number of directions.

Worth checking out.

This book presents an interesting historical survey of suburban development in the United States since the early 19th century.

The work is concise, well written and enlivened by many period illustrations. Unfortunately, all are small as well as black and white and many recent photographs, such as of Celebration, Florida, are anything but clear.

However, at a time when our cities and suburbs need to consolidate, a better understanding of the history of suburban development such as provided by this book can certainly prove useful to anyone involved in the fields of planning and development.

Ordered about two weeks before class started and the book came promptly and in good condition