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There are several kind of suburbs in Italy. I would distinguish between three kinds of them.
The first kind are bedroom communities. With bedroom communities, i mean neighbourhoods that were built between the 50s or the 80s to host lower working class people with none to little services (aside from parks and playgrounds who can be neglected and turned into wastelands in the worst of these neighbourhoods) forcing people to rely either on public transport or on autos. Even nowadays these neighbourhood go from lower to middle class at best.
The second kind are satellite cities, these were existing villages and towns just outside the city (anywhere up to as far as thirty kilometers) who were developed to accomodate the workers coming from these cities in search of cheaper property after World War Two. These satellites cities offer the similar services as the ones they have grown around.
The third kind are the closest to suburbs as Americans know them. They are either created from scratch, based around already existing villages or on the outskirts of satellite cities, they are at least 10 kilometers from the city center, they are made of detached houses, are usually more costly than apartments, have most services relatively nearby but on the whole aren't as well connected to the city.
I am under the impression that here in northern italy detached houses are pretty rare, that is, it is common to find super big detached houses which are split into 2 / 4 / 6 apartments and a common garden, which is weird to me. I often wonder how people can have the idea of buying a semi-house with a garden they would have to maintain with their neighbour. I guess that has to do with the fact that many people live with their parents or relatives.
In France it is either detached houses (even small ones) in the suburbs or condos with at least a dozen apartments, modern or old.
Also, everytime I went to southern Italy I always thought that the houses were huge. Like one bathroom on a floor was bigger than my living room here.
I feel that the dream for people here is to live in a big flat on a top of a building while in France everyone wants a house in the suburbs with a garden and quietness. There are neighborhoods here in Bologna with big condos that would pass for poor in France looking from the exterior (buildings with 40 apartments) and which happen to be luxurious areas, while my neighborhood which has mostly smaller buildings and houses is considered lower middle class.
I am under the impression that here in northern italy detached houses are pretty rare, that is, it is common to find super big detached houses which are split into 2 / 4 / 6 apartments and a common garden, which is weird to me. I often wonder how people can have the idea of buying a semi-house with a garden they would have to maintain with their neighbour. I guess that has to do with the fact that many people live with their parents or relatives.
In France it is either detached houses (even small ones) in the suburbs or condos with at least a dozen apartments, modern or old.
Also, everytime I went to southern Italy I always thought that the houses were huge. Like one bathroom on a floor was bigger than my living room here.
I feel that the dream for people here is to live in a big flat on a top of a building while in France everyone wants a house in the suburbs with a garden and quietness. There are neighborhoods here in Bologna with big condos that would pass for poor in France looking from the exterior (buildings with 40 apartments) and which happen to be luxurious areas, while my neighborhood which has mostly smaller buildings and houses is considered lower middle class.
That's true, people here want to stay as close as possible to public and private services, this means that house prices in well served central or semi central areas are higher. This also means that condos are preferred over detached houses which usually require the use of a car to get to the nearest shop or mall.
By the way, i don't think you'll see many detached houses in Bologna but if you head to Budrio, Pianoro, ecc. i think they should be more common
That's true, people here want to stay as close as possible to public and private services, this means that house prices in well served central or semi central areas are higher. This also means that condos are preferred over detached houses which usually require the use of a car to get to the nearest shop or mall.
By the way, i don't think you'll see many detached houses in Bologna but if you head to Budrio, Pianoro, ecc. i think they should be more common
yeah, i've seen some of them. Also, here in the plain it is common to have a village and a dozen "frazioni" which consist in basically two farms converted into houses, a hidden chinese factory and a church. In France the villages are usually grouped together.
I think Italy overall is much more of an urban culture, as the density is higher. France is mostly rural. French people also have much less tolerance for the possible noise made by neighbors or city noises than they have for long car rides. Here it is normal to live in a noisy environment, and driving is more dangerous.
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A big distinction between US / Canadian / Australian suburbs vs the rest of the world is the lack of single family homes. Most people live in some type of multi family building even far from city centre.
A big distinction between US / Canadian / Australian suburbs vs the rest of the world is the lack of single family homes. Most people live in some type of multi family building even far from city centre.
well, I said before that I grew up in one of them and I'm a european, so I would say it is pretty common, at least in France and once you're out of the city center.
You can get single familly houses very close to downtown in France.
Except obviously in larger cities like Paris, Lyon or Marseille
Here this is Montpellier (569,956 inhabitants in the metropolitan area), the 14th largest metropolitan area in France and one of the fastest growing.
These familly houses are half a mile away from Montpellier main central square. You can see the main train station and the southern end of the dense old town.
Here, it is just one mile north of Montpellier main central square.
This kind of mix between little appartment buildings and small houses (attached or detached) is typical of inner suburbs.
It is not considered as suburbs in France between it is inside Montpellier city limit but the urbanism is suburban. (In France: suburbs = outside the city proper)
There are some housing estate but they make only a minority of suburbs
It is also inside Montpellier city limit.
Further away, single familly houses dominate.
Last edited by Minato ku; 02-26-2016 at 04:34 PM..
A big distinction between US / Canadian / Australian suburbs vs the rest of the world is the lack of single family homes. Most people live in some type of multi family building even far from city centre.
My experience of Australia and the US, was that there was a lot of complex/apartment living. Certainly more than I was used to seeing.
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