Suburban Discipline

Historically, suburbia has been defined in relation to the city. Today, however, the city is no longer the undisputed arbiter for civilization; suburbia has infiltrated urban culture worldwide, shaping both its aspirations and its fears. Beneath an advertised serenity, poetry and violence, romance and pornography, organic gardens and toxic wastes are all nestled into the naturalistic settings of the suburb.

What are the rituals and customs of the contemporary suburb? Is it possible to describe suburban culture without relying on typical urban comparisons? How is suburban culture changing as a result of being plugged into a global market of expanding proportions?

Suburban Discipline, the second book (after "Mortal City") in our series from StoreFront for Art and Architecture, answers these questions through a series of critical essays. Keller Easterling, a professor of architecture at Columbia University and co-author of "Seaside", contributes an essay on the Appalachian Trail. Hannia Gmez, architecture critic for El Nacional in Caracas, provides a study on the Hanging Suburbs of Caracas. Also included is a photo-essay on Rem Koolhaas's Lille project.