A Musical Commentary on Suburban Sprawl

The new album by Arcade Fire is themed around suburban sprawl, offering an interesting commentary on city planning and development.

1 minute read

August 19, 2010, 11:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


The indie rock outfit has based its latest release on life growing up in suburbs. The result is an intriguing commentary, according to this piece from SPUR Urbanist.

"Their newest album weaves a sense of suburban space and place throughout its 16 tracks. Band front man Win Butler sings of how 'First they built the road, then they built the town. / That's why we're still driving round and round.' Much of the inspiration for the album comes from Butler's youth spent in the suburbs of Houston in the 1980s. And as with Arcade Fire's other notable excursions into the memories of childhood on its first album Funeral, the tone is often wistful. Butler and wife Régine Chassagne sing longingly for the 'wasted hours' of adolescence spent staring out the window of a car, riding bikes in the night to the nearest park, and waiting in parking lots under freeway overpasses. There are also more melancholic references to the impact of growing up in the built environment of suburbia – 'All we see are kids in buses longing to be free.'"

Wednesday, August 18, 2010 in SPUR Urbanist

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

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

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.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

View of Washington state capitol dome in Olympia, Washington at golden hour.

Washington Legislature Passes Rent Increase Cap

A bill that caps rent increases at 7 percent plus inflation is headed to the governor’s desk.

46 seconds ago - Washington State Standard

Low view of Glendale Narrows section of Los Angeles River with concrete bottom and cloudy storm sky over head.

From Planning to Action: How LA County Is Rethinking Climate Resilience

Chief Sustainability Officer Rita Kampalath outlines the County’s shift from planning to implementation in its climate resilience efforts, emphasizing cross-departmental coordination, updated recovery strategies, and the need for flexible funding.

1 hour ago - The Planning Report

Grandparents sitting on bench with young girl and boy, girl holding ball and boy holding ukelele.

New Mexico Aging Department Commits to Helping Seniors Age ‘In Place’ and ‘Autonomously’ in New Draft Plan

As New Mexico’s population of seniors continues to grow, the state’s aging department is proposing expanded initiatives to help seniors maintain their autonomy while also supporting family caregivers.

2 hours ago - Source NM