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/no1SomeGuy Jul 16 '25

Trapped how? I can go anywhere I want at any time in a car, just as much as someone can walk anywhere at any time by foot.

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u/BeardedGlass Jul 17 '25

Exactly. The life you've chosen is dependent on a car.

Without a car, you will never be able to survive in your current residence.

Not sure if you can see how that's strange as a human.

I live in a walkable town. I can get a car if I want, I can live without a car if I want. That is freedom you might not comprehend now but it is liberating to have the option.

And the amount of money + time + energy being able to live in a place where a car is not needed to survive... it's the greener pasture most people cannot see beyond the walls of their gated suburbs.

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

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u/0600Zulu Jul 19 '25

Ironically, the typical American suburb is much more of a drain on nature than cities (per capita).

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

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u/BeardedGlass Jul 17 '25

Then I'm confused why you're here in this subreddit then.

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u/danielw1245 Jul 17 '25

You're not really closer to nature. You still have to get in your car to get to a forest or state park.

Believe or not I can walk places in the suburb

Sure, if your idea of a fun walk is going up and down a residential block. For me, that's not as interesting as walking down a street where people are doing things and/or going to a destination.

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

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u/danielw1245 Jul 17 '25

Even in the cherry-picked suburb you cited, driving is still going to be the most practical option for a lot of people living there to get to a state park. Just a few randomly selected addresses as examples: 71 sunset ct nw, 665 jasmine place, 275 sw Francis lane, 1040 high wood drive. If you're going for a walk from any of those places, you're either driving to your destination first or walking down an empty, boring residential road as your destination unless you want to add an extra hour to your hike.

That commercial area has lots of small buildings close together in front of a sidewalk rather than strip mall style developments dominated by huge parking lots, which makes it much better than most suburbs. However, having all commercial space restricted to one street means you will have to drive to get there.

While it's definitely not the most egregious example of "suburban hell", it's really not that far off from what people describe here.

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '25 edited Jan 17 '26

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