Planning the New Suburbia

The suburbs house two-thirds of North America’s population and are the subject of much debate and criticism. Planning the New Suburbia proposes ways to respond to the challenge of creating affordable, adaptable, and environmentally sustainable neighborhoods. An architect and planner, Avi Friedman suggests new methods of design and regulation that would enable planners and residents to adapt suburban communities and homes to their evolving needs, responding to changing family size, aging, or new working conditions. Friedman surveys the evolution of urban planning, the history of "ideal" communities, the development of North American suburbs, and the theory behind flexible suburban design. Three case studies offer practical examples of his approach, and are generously illustrated with drawings, plans, and photographs.