I understand completely what you are talking about P.C., but it sounds like you're explaining the 0-10 age bracket of growing up in an upper middle class suburb and not the 10-20yrs or grade 6-12 and on. I know why parents move to the suburbs to think that its a better place to grow up. Well, yeah sense of community. I grew up on a cul-de-sac, one of my group of neighbours are still alive, she's getting close to 90 now, great woman, she and her husband were like a third set of grandparents to my sister and I.
Everyone in the neighbourhood was was older, out of the 'young families' (which were 3) all had boys my age so my sister never had actual friends in the neighbourhood and had to be driven everywhere to other neighbourhoods. So the ideal of that picture you have of kids playing only happened during the K-grade 5 years, if at all. The world is not Pleasantville that social dynamic maybe happen 3x a year.
Also, the neighbourhood was a place of empty nesters, the houses were built from the 70s. The new developments that the family lives in now is full of 0-10 year olds, but we've created homes where there's no need for social interaction. I don't know my new neighbours, they don't know me. I've lived there since 2005 (and not just me, my parents and so on) (there's 2 girls my age I think living next door, we've basically have waved that's about it). Suburban life is now one of isolation. We created a home that has everything you need, but a neighbourhood that's a living hell as nobody talks to each other. Land of caves.
Regardless of the new social dynamic of suburban tracts like South Surrey/Poco etc, the life of a child changes in Grade 6 (middle school) the ideal you are promoting goes away and never comes back. At grade 6 the 'city environment' suites the now young adult the best. The freedom of movement, walking to the corner shops, taking buses, having some social interaction. Suburbs at this age lead to no social interaction, just a 'he/she needs a car so he/she can visit and do things with friends' - the typical suburban parent- no social development.
That's what I'm harping about basically. Once you leave the elementary school (local) area and move to the middle school (introduced to kids outside of your neighbourhood's class), social cleavages are created and life dramatically changes. This is when 'boredom' hits as you call it and drugs/alcohol and up to no good behaviour starts and the suburban element becomes a hinderance.
This is the social aspect of burbs, I haven't even gotten to the urban sprawl, racial politics, lack of land management, houses on farm land, predominance of cars, unsustainable in the 21st century. In general though, the suburbs are where the progressive dies and regressive reigns. Hence my we need to tear them down and call them for what they are, blight. There's a better way to create more vibrant communities and "ticky tack little boxes" aren't the answer.
What helps as a young kid 0-10 traps them from 10-20.
