o retire to a house in the suburbs; however, "as soon as they lose their driver's licenses, the location of that house puts them out of reach of their physical and social needs" (Duany 123). Other common problems related to sprawl include commuters being stuck in traffic for two to three hours each day as they attempt to make it to work on time and Americans being segregated by income because of current housing development policies. Thus, the effects of sprawl are vast and affect everyone.
             Suburban Nation is based on the fact that neighborhoods should be livable. This means that communities are pedestrian friendly, walking is safe, and necessities in life are all available within walking distance. The trouble with conventional city development is that our neighborhoods are no longer livable; residents can not work there, can not shop there, and can not find sources of entertainment there.
             Suburban Nation begins by explaining the inherent differences between traditional neighborhood planning and suburban sprawl. These two models of urban growth are very different and affect society in different ways. The traditional neighborhood was the dominant form of growth until the Second World War. It is represented by mixed-use housing, pedestrian-friendly communities, and higher density development based upon history, aesthetics, and culture. The traditional neighborhood has proven itself to be a sustainable form of growth: "It allowed us to settle the continent without bankrupting the country or destroying the countryside in the process" (Duany 4).
             After the Second World War, town planning "became a technical profession based upon numbers. As a result, the American city was reduced into the simplistic categories and quantities of sprawl" (Duany 11). Contrary to traditional growth, suburban sprawl is an unsustainable form of growth. Unlike the traditional neighborhood, sprawl is not a form of ...