Since the 1920s, the United States has seen a dramatic reversal in living patterns, with a majority of Americans now residing in suburbs. This mass emigration from cities is one of the most fundamental social and geographical transformations in recent US history. Suburbanization has not only produced a distinct physical environment―it has become a major defining force in the construction of twentieth-century American culture. Employing over 200 primary sources, illustrations, and critical essays, The Suburb Reader documents the rise of North American suburbanization from the 1700s through the present day. Through thematically organized chapters it explores multiple facets of suburbia’s creation and addresses its indelible impact on the shaping of gender and family ideologies, politics, race relations, technology, design, and public policy. Becky Nicolaides’ and Andrew Wiese’s concise commentaries introduce the selections and contextualize the major themes of each chapter. Distinctive in its integration of multiple perspectives on the evolution of the suburban landscape, The Suburb Reader pays particular attention to the long, complex experiences of African Americans, immigrants, and working people in suburbia. Encompassing an impressive breadth of chronology and themes, The Suburb Reader is a landmark collection of the best works on the rise of this modern social phenomenon.

Traces the creation of a Pennsylvania residential subdivision from its planning stage to the residence of its first owners, in an account that offers insight into the long process of development and how it is related to sprawl and ex-urban growth.

Traces the development of American suburbs, suggests reasons for their growth, compares American residential patterns with those of Europe and Japan, and looks at future trends

American Housing Production, 1880-2000 presents a concise history of nonfarm housing production, progress, and policy in the United States. This century has been divided into a 14-part chronological structure with irregular time intervals, in contrast to conventional decade time periods. This arrangement is intended to reflect more fully the economic and political forces causing short run movements in housing output. This book treats housing production within a broad economic, demographic, and political context. Special relative measures of housing production, mortgage debt, and household formation have been developed to provide historical perspective over the period covered. Strong emphasis is placed on the growth and improved quality of the housing stock and on the evolution of community facilities essential to safe and sanitary housing, and of a mortgage credit system capable of supporting rising levels of production and home ownership. It analyzes the uneven results of Federal housing legislation, including the effort to assure equal access for all citizens to housing and mortgage markets, and the unfortunate experience of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. A look ahead to future prospects for housing production concludes the book.

Product Description: This book provides a complete picture of federal housing and community development policy during the last sixty years. Since the first edition was published in 1985, the quality and quantity of published works on U.S. housing policy have increased considerably...read more

Product Description: In "Shelter Poverty", Michael E. Stone presents the definitive discussion of housing and social justice in the United States. Challenging the conventional definition of housing affordability, Stone offers original and powerful insights about the nature, causes, and consequences of the affordability problem and presents creative and detailed proposals for solving a problem that afflicts one-third of this nation...read more

The noted feminist theorist argues for a new conception of architectural design and outlines housing plans that will support new patterns of nurturing and opportunity for a range of individuals and families

Traces the development of American suburbs, suggests reasons for their growth, compares American residential patterns with those of Europe and Japan, and looks at future trends

Examines the rich diversity of American architecture--from the frame houses of New England to condominiums in the Sunbelt--as they reflect the political, social, and economic ideologies of their times