Lifestyle in the Suburbs

Lifestyle in the Suburbs Introduction Suburban is an area that lies right away form the city or a town. This idea of suburban living came as a result of the need to change from models with high density housing to low density housing. The new homes that were built were spacious with a lawn or a garden and were adapted by many people who could afford them. The choice of living in the suburbs came with an assortment of reasons ranging from high rates of crime, traffic, noise and busy environment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Lifestyle in the Suburbs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The environment was also known to be safer for bringing up children. The necessity for quality life, health and well being, safety and better lifestyle called the individuals to work harder so as to triumph over the higher cost that came with it. The preference of living in the suburbs kept one away from environmental pollution such as noise and garbage while givi ng a tranquil place of residence. This essay will discuss lifestyle in the suburbs and the effort that a person must incur to sustain his cost of living. History of Suburban living 18th and early 19th century marked a revolution of many villages and markets as they grew into industrial cities. The growth resulted from industrialization. Initially, there were no building regulations and this made these cities to be dirty without clean sanitary facilities and high populations. In the late 19th Century the government introduced laws in public health which supervised sewage and sanitation. Living in cities was therefore a result of many economic opportunities in the cities compared to the rural areas. Most people in suburban areas were ready to spend more and dig deeper in their pockets, about 47% of their income, to maintain housing and transportation (Kim, 2011, p. 1). Maintenance Cost of Suburban Living It is more expensive to maintain suburban infrastructure development. This is bec ause the cost sharing is between fewer people than in urban areas where higher population shares the cost in paying taxes. Though the cost of buying a house in the suburbs is lower than in the urban, maintenance is expensive. The cost of transport in the suburbs is pricey. Without a car in the suburbs, it is quite troublesome to move about. Personal ownership of a car is therefore compulsory for living in the suburban areas. The cost of moving to and fro is escalated because of driving to work daily. Though the expenses within the house are lower, e.g. the electricity bills and water bills maintenance of the home is highly affected by the use of automobile. A person must travel to work, drive children to school, go for shopping or any other travelling because of unavailability of public means. Safeguarding this car is in addition very expensive. Insurance, maintenance, repairs, gasoline and license fees add more to the cost of this car. This is costly especially for the middle and l ow income. Parking fee for the car is also is another expense that drains ones income.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Effects of Living in the suburban’s The cost of oil rises as the demand of the oil rises. People living in the suburban areas require auto mobiles for their transport. The average is that each family needs a car for convenience. The growth of the suburban domino effect is the demand of oil hence raises the price of the oil. Climate changes as the automobiles emit carbon dioxide which is not absorbed in the air. CO2 leads to rise in temperature (Shaik, 2010, p. 1). Suburban settlement reduces social interactions. Living in the suburbans encouraged privacy and most neighbors became strangers to each other. This caused separation of communities on foundation of their economic status. This was what caused North America to segregate. The effect of se gregation makes the people to be unable to accommodate each other since the society in the suburban rarely share experiences, talents and their way of thinking. This discourages social sustainability (Shaik, 2010, p. 1). Suburban settlement decreases the efficiency of energy use. This is a consequence of using automobiles which increases in number and the distance covered. The people in these areas hardly walk or ride bicycles while traveling, methods which could save a lot of energy (Urbanity, n.d., p. 1). The suburban system brings discrimination to the poor, the elderly and the children. The poor are alienated from the luxurious homes since they cannot afford to purchase their own cars. The elderly people on their second retirement are only allowed to stay in a retirement community and such experience of traveling about is denied to them. Most children of the rich people who live in the suburban areas are able to attend events such as parties and games. So the best social places for children are for those with good economic backgrounds. The high cost is afforded by the children of the rich parents (Urbanity, n.d, 1). Appropriate Technology Appropriate technology is almost compulsory to those living in the suburban areas. There tends to be great dependency on comprehensive technology. The positive side of it is that the suburban people provide meaningful employment to technology companies. High technology applications are often found in the areas of the rich. The cost of living continues to be high in the suburbs. The sustainability cost is higher when there is no sharing of the cost (Wicklein Kachmar, n.d., p. 1). There is more need to have tight security in the suburban. This makes it obligatory to have a security guard as well as technological security systems in the home such as CCTV cameras. Most homes in the suburban have a guide.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Lifestyle in the Suburbs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Benefits of Suburban Living Suburban residents are at a lower risk of health problems than those living in the urban. The congestion in urban areas can encourage a quick spread of diseases. In Most places, the poor live around their work place whereas the rich live outside the cities in places without pollution. The design of houses in cities is mostly to maximize the number of people living in a particular area. Important life commodities such as water and privacy become scarce and this is a cause of many health problems such as tuberculosis at times in the urban depending on the country in question. Recommendations The main aim of these recommendations is to lower the scale of expenses that come as a result of maintenance fee as well as to bridge the social gap that is created by suburban settlement. The suburban developers should create variety of housing and transportation choices. This is by considering different economic classes from high in come earners without discriminating them. The employers should also encourage their employees to telecommute so as to reduce travelling expenses as well as to reduce the traffic (Goodson, 2001, p. 1). Conclusion Suburban living is a choice which is made by people in need of a better environment in terms of pollution, health, security and comfort. This comes with a higher cost of living and mostly segregates the rich from the poor. Maintenance cost of a home in the suburban is quite expensive. Automobiles are the major escalators of the living cost. Security, technology and taxes are also factors that increase the cost of living in the suburban. The suburban lifestyle discourages social interactions and has a high dependence on automobiles which promote inefficient energy use as well as increasing the demand of gasoline which makes it expensive. The developers of these areas should create housing and transport choices so as to incorporate many people by lowering the cost. References Goodson, D. (2009) Suburban housing: a cheaper alternative? Web.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Kim, J. (2011) The costs of urban vs. suburban living. Web. Shaik, A. (2010) Suburban Placemaking. Web. Urbanity. (n.d.) Problems with Automobile Dependency. Web. Wicklein, R. C. Kachmar, C. J., (n. d.) Philosophical Rationale for Appropriate Technology. Web.