University English 105: Critique of Hamilton's 'Suburban Design'

This paper presents a critique of William L. Hamilton's article, "How Suburban Design is Failing Teenagers." The student analyzes Hamilton's arguments regarding the negative impacts of suburban design on teenagers, including isolation, lack of public space, and diminished social interaction. The paper begins with a summary of Hamilton's main points, such as the lack of character, diversity, and civic ideals in suburban environments. It then discusses the strengths of Hamilton's arguments, particularly his identification of issues faced by suburban teenagers. However, it also points out weaknesses, such as the lack of concrete solutions for addressing the identified problems. The paper also examines responses to Hamilton's claims, specifically concerns about the safety of unsupervised teenage activities. The author concludes that teenagers should be provided with spaces to reflect and interact with peers, which would help in their development, both physically and psychologically, and address the loneliness often experienced during adolescence.

Running head: ENGLISH - PAPER CRITIQUE
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Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
The teenagers who have been living in the suburban areas should be granted the access to
a certain place wherein they would have an area of unwinding and interacting with their peers
under distant supervision of their guardians. Hamilton (1999) in the article entitled “How
suburban design is failing teen-agers” sheds light on the major disadvantages that are faced by
the teenagers who have been residing in the suburban areas of the territory. The article states that
the teenagers should be provided a space of their own wherein they would have the proper
environment to reflect upon themselves as well as be involved in discussions with their peers.
The claim can be considered valid as it would help in the proper prosperity and development of
the psychological aspects of the child who is transgressing through the adolescent period in his
or her teenage years. The following paper opens with a summarization of the article put forth by
Hamilton. The paper proceeds to discuss the strengths and the weaknesses of the article and
nears a conclusion with the discussion on the responses received by the paper.
Summary
Hamilton (1999) in the article entitled “How suburban design is failing teen-agers”
attempts to throw light on the major disadvantages that are faced by the teenagers who have been
residing in the suburban areas of the territory. The article opens with the opinion that states that
the suburban areas of a city might be considered to be synonymous with the term isolation. The
author states that the suburbs were created in the past in order to develop areas that were far
away from the menaces that were present in the urban areas (Hamilton, 1999). The suburban
areas were created in order to help the people of those areas to stay away from the issues that are
generally faced by the people who have been living in the suburban areas.

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The author states that the people who have been residing in the suburban areas tend to be
the victims of the various disorders in relation to the various personality issues that are required
for the development of the concerned human being. The author states that the people who have
been residing in the suburbs tend to demonstrate a severe lack in their character as well as the
basic principles that help in defining the identity of the concerned person. The suburban residents
are also known to have been demonstrating a severe lack in the levels of their tolerance towards
the people who belong to the diverse social and cultural backgrounds (Hamilton, 1999). The
suburban people are also considered to be less tolerant of the diversity in the residential
community that is present within the given area. The author states that the people who have been
residing within the suburban areas tend to deal with the isolation of the people from the larger
community. The author of the discussed article tends to pinpoint another major factor that is
observed among the residents of the suburban areas. The ownership of a car is a commonplace
fact that is observed in a suburban area (Hamilton, 1999). This leads to the development of a
greater gap among the people which, in the longer run leads to the development of the isolation
among the members who have been residing in the concerned suburban areas.
The author further reveals that the suburban areas often lack places that are ideal for the
teenagers to spend time with each other. The author reveals the fact that the teenagers within a
given suburban area are among the most neglected people among the entire number of the
residents of the area. The teenagers are observed to have a greater amount of access to the virtual
reality computer games rather than the access to the areas where they might be involved in the
physical games as well as other programs (Hamilton, 1999). The majority of the teenagers are
observed to be involved in the games that involve a greater amount of violence leading to the
development of the violent nature of the concerned teenagers.

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The author stresses on the importance of the presence of a certain area within the
suburban area that would help the teenagers to develop themselves both from the physical and in
the psychological viewpoint (Hamilton, 1999). The teenagers are often observed to be suffering
from an awkward loneliness that is commonly observed during the adolescence phase. The
teenagers should be provided with the proper areas that would help them unwind themselves and
reflect on the various factors that they have been facing in their everyday lives both at home and
at the educational institutions that they have been attending. The author compares the teenagers
in the suburban society to the sidewalks (Hamilton, 1999). The author further puts forth the fact
that the standards of the suburban community are revealed to be low despite the high standards
of the houses and the other buildings that are present within the area. The author further reveals
that the suburban areas tend to lead to the increase in the vulnerability that is observed among the
teenagers. This raises a huge concern for the society at large. The societal administrators must
put forth a proper knowledge on the facts that are being observed in the behavior of the teenagers
who have been residing in the suburban areas.
Strengths
The major strengths of the article lie in the proper identification of the issues that are
faced by the teenagers as well as the society at large due to the degradation in the standard of
communities that is observed in the suburban areas. The author states that the suburbs were
created in the past in order to develop areas that were far away from the menaces that were
present in the urban areas. The suburban residents are also known to have been demonstrating a
severe lack in the levels of their tolerance towards the people who belong to the diverse social
and cultural backgrounds (Hamilton, 1999). The suburban people are also considered to be less
tolerant of the diversity in the residential community that is present within the given area. The

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author is observed to have put forth a proper discussion of the issues that have been bothering the
teenagers of the suburban areas as well as the society at large.
Weaknesses
However, the concerned article is observed to have been demonstrating a number of
weaknesses as well in its composition. The author is observed to demonstrate and highlight the
issues in a proper manner but however discusses very little on the ways and methods that might
be implemented to resolve the issues that are faced by the teenagers as well as by the society at
large. The author claims that the teenagers should be provided a space of their own wherein they
would have the proper environment to reflect upon themselves as well as be involved in
discussions with their peers. According to the author, this would help in the diminishing the
characteristic loneliness that is felt by the majority of the teenagers (Hamilton, 1999). However,
the author fails to address the queries that might be raised by the parents and the other guardians
regarding the safety of the teenagers who would be participating in the unsupervised activities.
Responses
The majority of the responses to the argument put forth by Hamilton regarding the grant
of the access to the unsupervised activity area for the teenagers residing in the suburban areas
have been centered around the safety of the teenagers. The various incidents that had been
highlighted in the later years reveal that the areas that the teenagers tend to select as a meeting
point or an area of their own tend to bring about various incidents that might be considered to be
rebellious for the surrounding society. The majority of the activities that are undertaken by the
teenagers are observed to be against the normal flow of the events and the customs that are
followed within the given society. The activities that were undertaken by the teenagers as a show

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of love, respect and solidarity are often treated in a different manner by the adults of the area.
The graffiti by the teenagers in fond memory of their peer might be considered to be an act of
vandalism on the part of the administrative bodies of the area as well as the other elder residents
of the area. Thus, the differences in the mentality and the attitude among the residents leads to
the creation of a gap within the generations living in a particular area.
Conclusion
In lieu of the above discussion, it might be stated that the teenagers should be provided a
space of their own wherein they would have the proper environment to reflect upon themselves
as well as be involved in discussions with their peers. This would help the teenagers to develop
themselves both from the physical and in the psychological viewpoint. The teenagers are often
observed to be suffering from an awkward loneliness that is commonly observed during the
adolescence phase. The teenagers should be provided with the proper areas that would help them
unwind themselves and reflect on the various factors that they have been facing in their everyday
lives.

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References and Bibliography
Ramsey, M. (13 July, 2005) Abbotsford to remove skateboard memorial: Mayor calls it
disrespect for property. The Province. Vancouver, B.C. pg. A.3
Hamilton, W. (1999). How suburban design is failing teen-agers. New York Times, 6.
DeBock, M. (28 August, 2002) Store anticipates the draw of skateboard park in mall: The store
gets exposure, the kids hang around, their parents find it reassuring -- it's a great formula
for sales. The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, B.C. pg. D.1.