Crabgrass Frontier

The Suburbanization of the United States

By: Kenneth T. Jackson

Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin

Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

This first full-scale history of the development of the American suburb examines how "the good life" in America came to be equated with the a home of one's own surrounded by a grassy yard and located far from the urban workplace.

Integrating social history with economic and architectural analysis, and taking into account such factors as the availability of cheap land, inexpensive building methods, and rapid transportation, Kenneth Jackson chronicles the phenomenal growth of the American suburb from the middle of the 19th century to the present day. He treats communities in every section of the U.S. and compares American residential patterns with those of Japan and Europe. In conclusion, Jackson offers a controversial prediction: That the future of residential deconcentration will be very different from its past in both the U.S. and Europe.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©1985 Oxford University Press, Inc. (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Interesting, but a bit dry and long winded.

I thought the topics and statistics covered in the book were interesting. it really details how the US ended up as such a suburban nation. however the story didn't always keep my attention. the author goes on a bit longer than needed to make a point sometimes. worth listening once, but probably won't be listening a second time.

Essential and Masterful

Jackson demonstrates how the development of the uniquely suburban-centric form of the American landscape was equal parts intention and technological innovation, founded upon the natural bounties of our nation and the tensions inherent to its melting pot of different ethnicities and races. Anyone who wonders why our metropolitan areas look the way they do must read at least the portion of this work that addresses the 1930s up to the present (which is the mid-1980s in this instance, but differing little from 2020, for better or worse). An essential read and a masterful synthesis.

Most interesting interpretation of potentially boring subject

This was really well done and absolutely kept my interest. It is an older book, so I think it sets some foundation but you should definitely augment with some more current research, but this is a great foundation.

There is so much to think about here.

I can’t believe I haven’t read this book before now. Most of what we have been told for the last 25 years in housing blames suburbanization on the rise of the automobile after the second world war. In reality the process began in the mid-1800s and continues to this day.

The recent return to cities is a stage of life phenomenon. The millennials were the largest generation to have ever been born in the United States, as they completed their education and sought to find their life partners cities became the most logical place for this enormous, highly educated generation to start their young working lives.

However, like most generations before them once they started having children and discovered how difficult it is to take a baby stroller, down into the subway, or onto a street car, or on to a bus. The millennials followed their baby boomer parents to the suburbs just like the baby boomers parents, the original World War II generation went to the suburbs, as did so many previous generations, seeking to escape the problems of cities, both real and perceived.

Jeffrey West has written an amazing book called Scale, that looks at cities and their relationship to nature in terms of the relative efficiency of systems. I feel like there is a need for a new sociological examination of cities and suburbs as it relates to increasing changes in technology, the post Covid advent of telecommuters and home delivery also known as the Amazon effect, yes, I fully realize this is an Amazon owned platform.

Even if we were to change, all of the tax codes and incentives one might still find that people living in urban centers seek to move to the suburbs once a bonded pair has been established.

What do I mean by that? As a developer and operator of Urban property for the last 12 years. We have continued to observe that once a couple has entered into some form of commitment device whether that be engagement, marriage, or having a child together, this is when the couple chooses to leave the environment, which is predominantly inhabited by single people. Singleness, which today represents 50.2% of the adult population in America is a remarkably new phenomenon add to that the changed attitudes concerning sexuality, one can remain single and independent, continuing to live in an urban environment, and have a very fulfilling, social life. As compared to how isolated a single person might feel in a typical suburban neighborhood.

Singleness and renting is yet another observation we have made meaning the purchase of property seems to be a commitment device much like buying an engagement ring. Single people seem to not want to purchase condominiums, but yet are happy to pay very high rents for the exact same property, presumably, in the hopes that they are keeping their options open, and when they meet Mr. Wright or Mrs. wrong, or whoever it is, they’re looking for that then they will choose to enter into the homebuying market, which most often will take them out to where the other married couples are , and away from the competition of other single people, congregated into the posh parts of the course city,

Much work would need to be done to know whether or not this is a significant finding or merely an anecdotal observation, but as someone who would love to see our cities transform into European like centers of culture and creativity, I am hopeful that we can continue to study These important issues, and I am also hopeful that we can create policies which will stimulate the reinvention and reinvestment in our cities.

A classic

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Although it was written decades ago, many of the issues discussed are still relevant today. This book gives a wonderful comprehensive history about why suburbs are so popular and why we can't stop building them.

Any additional comments?

A classic and a must read for those interested in urbanism. I feel a lot of books I've read where just updates to this book, I'm glad I finally got to it.

fascinating history 📜

the first half of the book is the most boring history book about rich people's houses, but then in chapter 9 things start to pick up with the trolley invention, and then sh*t hits the fan in chapter 11 during and after WWII. like God! we went crazy with our houses 🏘️