suburbs / suburban
Last updatedDefinition
Suburbs and suburban are broad terms with no uniformly agreed-upon definitions. Broadly speaking, suburbs frequently are described by their supposed cultural homogeneity, often by politicians and pundits. They are often categorized as being representative of cohesive family units, generally college-educated, and racially un-diverse.
It may be useful in stories that discuss redlining, zoning, or the racial homogeneity of certain suburban areas to note that many of the root causes are part of a lengthy history of racial exclusion. Suburbs do not automatically equate to “middle-class.”
Additional resources
- Urban. Suburban. Rural. How Do Households Describe Where They Live? (Department of Housing and Urban Development)
- Rural and Suburban America: When One Definition Is Not Enough (US Census)
- At 50, Levittown Contends With Its Legacy of Bias (New York Times)
- Levittown: A Racial Battleground In The Suburbs (NPR)
Summary
Suburbs refers to a housing district outside of a city’s boundaries but within its metropolitan area. It may be useful in stories that discuss redlining, zoning, or the racial homogeneity of certain suburban areas to note that many of the root causes are part of a lengthy history of racial exclusion. Suburbs do not automatically equate to “middle-class.”