Did the suburb ever fulfill the American dream?

Hmmm...

Was the quality of life ever better in the suburb?

1950s: lawns, living rooms, barbecues = happiness?

Today: "If you do the math, commuting from Saratoga County to Albany is costing people $500 a month. That affects quality of life." -Paul Smithsville

"[Suburbs are] places built “to defy nature,” he said, giving everyone “their own little kingdom of grass and space” — not to mention 3,000-square-foot houses, heated swimming pools and hulking S.U.V.’s."
- Mike Tidwell, environmentalist
...to defy nature = suburb's purpose?