I've been studying (at a layman's level) urban planning and design for the last 5 years, and wanted to share a podcast episode [1] with neuroscientist Ann Sussman [2] that I think should fundamentally alter or reinforce your preexisting understanding of the urban landscape. As a preface, it's not just about suburbia, but also the stress-inducing design of modern cities with skyscrapers.
A couple of points that I've taken away:
* PTSD from WW1 and WW2 led to inhumane architecture [3]
* In the US in particular in the 50s we believed in technology and that humans were apart from nature and designed cities that way (skyscrapers, cars, etc.)
I hope you enjoy and that it expands your horizons or is of general interest.
[1]https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kunstlercast-suburban-sprawl-a-tragic-comedy/id273772632?i=1000483910041
[2]https://annsussman.com
[3]https://geneticsofdesign.com/2018/02/04/if-you-want-to-see-why-people-shun-boston-city-hall-eye-track-it/