The quality of life in cities: the twenty-first century suburb

When addressing the quality of life in cities, it must be remembered that 86% of households in the UK live in suburban environments. Yet the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment's national audit states that some 82% of housing is of poor or average quality. To understand this dysfunctional relationship it is necessary to explore how suburbs are created, nurtured and packaged, and the gaps between aspiration and the actuality on the ground. Barriers are continually encountered in trying to evolve new models of suburban living. The patterns for today's suburbs were set 150 years ago. The current results are often dormitories based on a series of myths and Victorian images, supported by a powerful but unimaginative industry that reflects the contradictions between consumer choice, values, procurement, design and invisible constraints. It is hoped this paper could help to start a debate on the quality of life desired in future suburbs. This is not just about policies and practice, or breaking the hold of the volume builder; it is perhaps also because there is currently no value system that reflects what is wanted from suburbs.