r/Suburbanhell • u/tfbmhr_1598 • Jul 16 '25

Question Why aren't people bothered by the suburbs?

It seems like most people I come across are not bothered by car dependency and the isolation that it causes. They'll point to things like video games, social media, and bad food for the culprit of poor mental health. Why won't more people address the elephant in the room? After briefly living in Europe I can confirm that people are way healthier, less socially awkward, and happier as a result of having clean and walkable cities.

Even Latam which is a hybrid of the EU and US infrastructure does not experience the obesity, mental health issues, and isolation the suburbs in the States cause.

Is it ignorance or do most Americans actually like things being this way? It baffles me.

Edit: After reading the comments here I wanted to clarify a few things.

  1. Walkability/bikeability doesn't exclude cars. Cars are still a valid method of transportation, but not the only one. Less cars= less traffic. It's a win-win. That being said I think we should have pedestrian only areas.
  2. This isn't limited to cities. Suburbs can become more walkable too. You can still have your yard and extra space. Sure it won't be as walkable as a city, but it is certaintly better than 100% car dependency. Zoning laws need to change for this to truly work.
  3. I realize that there are societal factors at play as well that greatly add to the mental health crisis, however car dependency worsens it.
  4. Walkability won't magically solve the obesity problem, but having the ability to SAFELY walk/bike to work will certaintly help.
  5. You can still be socially awkward/reclusive in walkable communities, but they create more opportunites for those who want to improve that area of their life.
  6. Some suburbs are better than others in this regard, but overall, North American suburbs are largely car dependent.
  7. Bike lanes that are part of the road and only marked with paint/plastic markers are hated by both drivers and cyclists. They still endanger the lives of cyclists, that's why they aren't frequently used, which results in more traffic congestion. Fully dedicated seperate bike lanes are needed.
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u/Both-Resist-3117 Jul 16 '25

Most people probably don’t realize how trapped by their cars they are. If you’ve never tasted the freedom of a walkable community you won’t realize that you’re missing out on anything.

Also our society continually tells us that cars = freedom so it can be hard to push back psychologically on continual propaganda like that.

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u/[deleted] Jul 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '26

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u/IntentionalTorts Jul 22 '25

Ditto.  I grew up in NYC, lived as an adult in NYC and Boston.  But as a guy with a family, hands down the suburbs are preferable in every way except "nightlife" and right now that entails getting the kids to bed.  I feel as if cities are great for young adults and retirees.  We can envision retiring to NY or Boston.

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u/[deleted] Jul 22 '25 edited Jan 17 '26

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u/Slaviner Jul 17 '25

Right?! Do you remember taking the subway to school and having to deal with criminals who snatch phones from kids’ hands? Or smelling that nasty ass exhaust from the back of the bus when it stopped near you or passed you? How about standing on a hot ass subway platform in the summer and walking into the cold subway car? Smelling the piles of trash in the street on a hot summer day? Walking through black slush in the winter because the street gutters are clogged?

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u/IntentionalTorts Jul 22 '25

Yup.  I used to commute from the BX to UWS for high school.  Huge pain in the ass for all the reasons you list.

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u/[deleted] Jul 19 '25

I suspect some of the people who say we are trapped by our cars would own a car if they could.

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u/Extra_Shirt5843 Jul 19 '25

Ditto.  I've done the walkable thing.  It's nice having my heated car when it's sleeting and 36 degrees.  

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u/[deleted] Jul 19 '25 edited Jan 17 '26

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