Suburb

A suburb is defined as a ‘new’ residential development on a greenfield site that has a physical, social, administrative and economic relationship with another urban area.

Growing up in the 1970s, the UK’s suburbs were designed as an alternative to the cramped conditions of the neighbouring cities. Originally, the suburb was very much an aspirational concept, and a house here was considered a sign of wealth and status. However, in recent years the regeneration of many of our inner cities has created a backflow of wealthy individuals towards town.

So will universal connectivity mean the end of suburban Britain? This seems unlikely. For many, the cost of living in the city itself is prohibitive and this is unlikely to change. Suburbia provides the compromise between proximity to the bright lights and the cost of actually living among them. In fact, it’s estimated that in and around London alone, more than 1 million new homes will need to be built to cope with the demand for housing.

The government has also recognised the importance of the suburbs as an opportunity to create sustainable, greener environments, and the Sustainable Living programme looks at ways in which the suburbs can provide a blueprint for the way we live in the future.

Want to find out more about our suburbs and how they’ve featured in the cultural fabric of London and Britain over the last 100 years? Check out the Suburbia exhibition at the London Transport Museum, open until Wednesday, 31 March 2010.