Cities, Suburbs and Farms

During colonial times in America, and during the early days of many places throughout the history of the world, there were many more farms than cities. People would raise and grow their own crops and animals and provide food for their families. However, in the world today, and in the United Sates, communities are usually classified as a city or urban area, farming or rural area, and an area somewhere between the two called a suburb.

An urban community or city is densely populated, includes high rise apartment buildings and skyscrapers, and is often the place people from other community types travel to for work and other reasons. A city may often be called a town, but there is no agreed upon difference between a city and town. Usually when people say town, they may be referring to a smaller version of a big city.

Cities are usually more complex than other communities. Sanitation, utilities, land usage, housing and transportation is much more organized and concentrated within a smaller area. In addition, there is more interaction between people and businesses. However, cities are also faced with many challenges other types of communities do not have to contend with, such as a higher cost of living, social problems such as homelessness or crime, and in some cities, more pollution.

Nearly all cities are surrounded by suburbs or suburban areas where the population is not as dense. Suburbs are often referred to as mixed use areas. The people living in the suburbs often travel to the city for employment, shopping, and entertainment. However, nearly all suburban areas have their own places where people live, work, shop, and play.

Living in the suburbs is much different than the city. Public transportation my not be as available and automobiles are often necessary. There are more single family homes in organized neighborhoods, though many suburbs do include smaller apartment buildings as well as townhomes. There is usually more space available for recreational purposes such as ballfields, pools, and other community facilities, such as schools, frequented by those who live in the area.

Finally, there are rural areas or farming communities, wide open spaces with many fewer homes than cities and suburbs. Sometimes called countrysides, a person may say they are going to take a ride out to the country, when in fact they are referring to these large open spaces called rural areas. In most rural areas, there are farms where crops are grown and animals are raised for food. People living in the cities and suburbs rely on the farms for their food.

Most rural areas have low populations and neighbors may live anywhere from several hundred feet from each other to being miles apart. There are some places in rural areas where unused farmland is used for a housing development, and entire neighborhoods are constructed. It is like a mini-suburb inside rural space. People living in rural areas must have a car because public transportation is extremely rare.

Though cities, suburbs and farms each have their own characteristics, the people living in each of them usually have the same goals and motivations. However, people living in urban areas may enjoy a much faster pace, and do not mind the busyness of a city. People in suburbs like the small-town activities of a community and may like the close-knit feeling of a neighborhood. And people in the rural area may like the peaceful and quiet openness associated with living in the country.