What Trump Gets Wrong About America’s Suburbs

The Trump administration’s talk about protecting the suburbs is based on misrepresentations of who really lives in suburbs and what these communities need.

2 minute read

August 30, 2020, 7:00 AM PDT

By Camille Fink


Suburbs

ArtisticOperations / Pixabay

"Given the scale of American suburbia, talking about 'the suburbs' writ large invariably papers over the differences that exist across this spectrum of communities, which range in population (from fewer than 100 residents to hundreds of thousands), location (from streetcar suburbs to exurbs), and built environment (from strip malls and subdivisions to dense, walkable downtowns)," writes Elizabeth Kneebone.

In addition, suburbs are diverse in terms of income, race, and ethnicity, but this does not mean all suburbs are equal. Exclusionary zoning and land use regulations have resulted in significant inequities. “These practices have allowed certain jurisdictions and neighborhoods to hoard wealth and opportunity, fueling racial and economic segregation and creating disparities not only between suburbs and cities but also within suburbia as well,” Kneebone.

In addition, the kind of suburbs touted by President Trump and Ben Carson—filled with single-family homes and with high average household incomes and low poverty rates—make up just one-fifth of suburban neighborhoods.

"Trump and Carson denigrate 'urban cities' by writing that they often struggle to 'provide for their citizens’ basic needs in housing, public safety and education'—but that is also the reality for many small, resource-strapped suburbs scattered across the fragmented patchwork of suburban America," says Kneebone.

They should instead, she argues, focus on policies and programs that will help people living in suburbs. Rent relief, tenant protections, and federal aid to states and cities are what is needed to bolster the suburbs that Trump and Carson allegedly want to save.

Thursday, August 20, 2020 in The Avenue (Brookings)

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

White Waymo autonomous car driving fast down city street with blurred background at night.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars

Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

3 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Two small wooden one-story homes in Florida with floodwaters at their doors.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?

With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

5 hours ago - Governing

People riding bicycles on separated bike trail.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike

For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

7 hours ago - UNM News