ClimateJuly 8, 2026
suburbanization
/səˌbɜːrbənaɪˈzeɪʃən/
Definition
The historical and cultural process of expanding residential areas outward from city centers, resulting in communities designed around car dependency and high energy consumption.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'sub-' (under/near) and 'urbs' (city), the term emerged in the 20th century to describe the outward growth of metropolitan areas, utilizing the suffix '-ization' to denote the resulting social and structural transformation.
In the news
The article uses this term to describe a community design choice that locked Americans into energy-intensive lifestyles, contributing to the nation's systemic waste and inefficiency.
The “soft energy path” at 50: America’s road half-taken
Read the full article ↗Frontier Group