Suburbanization

This entry is published on a peer reviewed encyclopedia and it provides a definition of suburbanization, a term to describe the growth and spatial reorganization of contemporary city. An historical background is provided, with attention to the development of infrastructures and the subsequent mass diffusion of automobile. The connection between suburbanization and middle and upper-middle class flight to desirable areas is also stressed. Many people are looking for the ownership of detached or semi-detached houses located in a less crowded context. For American sociology the suburb represents one side of the American Dream, and the suburban culture is often connected to distinctive ways of life. Several sociological theories focus on the causes of suburbanization. Ecologists and many urban economists suggest that market development makes suburban settlements attractive. Other studies focus more on individual choices. All these research approaches agree in stressing that resident population in the city is in average less wealthy than the suburban one. At this purpose a wide debate on natural suburban segregation is going on. The question is: is this natural segregation a free market result or can it be explained through political and institutional causes?Urban sprawl is also introduced as a recent concept to define the trend of low-density spread settlements. These settlements are highly energy-waster and not sustainable due to their land use, transport and mobility styles.