What is a suburb?

A suburb is a residential area that surrounds a city. “Residential” means that it has more homes than businesses. You might have thought ‘burbs were a pretty modern invention, but suburbs have existed since the sixth century in Babylon. Back then, wealthy folks moved outside the city walls for a more peaceful, quiet home. In the 20th century, suburbs grew as more people bought cars and could drive farther to and from work. By 1990, the majority of U.S. citizens lived in suburbs. But the spread-out style of the ‘burbs can isolate people and even hurt the environment. Now communities are being planned to solve these problems