Women in the Modern Suburb: A Comparison of Albany, California and San Francisco, California

Ailish McGiffin

“Cities are planned by men for men”.1 The lack of consideration given to considering the needs of women in urban planning means that women have a unique relationship with their built environment. This necessitates the analysis of how women interact with and within cities and how these interactions evolve as social contexts shift. Suburbs are a particularly interesting entity to examine both when discussing the role of women in urban areas and how these roles have transformed over time. Although suburbs and cities once offered two segmented lifestyles, the suburb today appears to be taking on more characteristics of city life, which has been beneficial for the suburban woman. Through a comparison of the major city of San Francisco, California (population: 874,784)2 and the suburb of Albany, California (population: 20,145)3, it becomes evident that previous views on a woman’s life in the suburb are less applicable in the present context. Although suburbs were once thought to confine women, suburban life is increasingly becoming interconnected with the needs of modern women.

The city is commonly represented as a source of liberation for women while the suburb is portrayed as a space that limits women’s potential. A popular premise in television and film is a young woman attempting to get out of her stifling suburban town to reach the wonderful big city. The T.V. show The Carrie Diaries,4 centers on a

Wekerle,

2 “San Francisco, CA.” 2021. Data USA. https://datausa.io/profile/ geo/san francisco-ca

3 “Albany, CA.” 2021. Data USA. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/ albany-ca

4 Whole. 2013. The Carrie Diaries. The CW.

5 Gerwig, Greta, dir. 2017. Lady Bird. A24.

6 Hutchinson, teenage Carrie Bradshaw attempting to leave her suburban Connecticut hometown for New York City. The film Lady Bird5portrays a similar plot except that Sacramento, California is the suburban town that Lady Bird is attempting to rid herself of in favor of New York City. This view of suburbia as being detrimental to the growth of women spans multiple disciplines, including that of urban sociology. In research on women in suburbs, the suburb is often presented as an urban form that is the antithesis of modern feminism; something to be escaped. In “Gender Trouble in Paradise: Suburbia Reconsidered,” Susanne Frank explains that the concept of suburbia as “a place which casts the women’s social subordination… belongs to today’s unquestioned basic assumptions of critical and feminist urban studies”.6 Frank touches on the fact that, in the word of urban scholarship, the suburban environment as a stunting force for women has been universally accepted. This notion has cemented the perception of suburbia as limiting for women both in research and in popular culture. While the suburb is depicted as an oppressive force for women, the city is presented as a place of opportunity. In “A Woman’s Place is in the City,” Gerda Wekerle states that there is a demand by women for services such as daycares, places of employment, social service offices, and community centers “that can only be found in cities”.7 The idea that these services only exist in cities is compounded by the idea that they are more accessible in cities because public transportation is not prominent in suburban areas. Together, this creates the perception that women will be left without access to key services such as childcare or employment should they live in the suburbs. In past urban research, the city for women is a place for them to reach key services and social institutions that are thought to be unavailable in suburban regions.Although this picture of the suburb as an entity disconnected from the city and its networks may once have been accurate, today the suburb presents many benefits for women that it is typically not given credit for. transportation and pay monetarily for this fear through their increased usage of private car services such as taxis and Ubers. In The San Francisco Examiner article “Women say ‘pink tax’ in SF transit all too real,” the co-chair of the San Francisco Women’s Political Committee, Kelly Groth, recounts being “grabbed from behind”17 after exiting the bus at a stop near her apartment. The same article conducted an informal poll and found that women were spending money on car services to avoid taking public transit at night.18 Experiences like this point to the fact that public transportation in the city of San Francisco is not designed to meet the needs of women. Furthermore, public transportation offers less flexibility and mobility than a private automobile: “A heavy dependence on public transportation means that women’s job choices are more limited and the journey to work is more time consuming”.19

A prominent criticism of suburban life is that it physically isolates women and binds them to their homes. This view emerged at the beginning of the suburban housing trend when the cities were designed for working men who commuted and it was less common for women to have a license or own a car. The design of the suburbs lacked consideration for the needs of the women, whose lives at the time were centered around the home. Suburbs during the mid-to-late 1900s were designed for “homebound women”8 and “constrain[ed] women physically”.9 While this viewpoint is applicable to a specific time in the history of suburbia, new upwards trends in both car ownership and the number of women who have licenses makes this criticism less applicable to the present-day suburb. In 2014, it was found that “the number of women with driving licenses (DL) in the U.S. overtook that of men”10 in “all age groups greater than 25”.11 Women’s increased access to cars expanded opportunities for suburban women regarding their way of life.12 Women have previously faced isolation due to a lack of access to transportation in the suburbs. However, women’s increased use of automobiles today means they experience a higher degree of mobility; suburban women are no longer confined to their homes. When comparing the car ownership patterns in San Francisco and Albany, it is found that the average car per household is two in Albany13 and one in San Francisco.14 Residents of San Francisco are more likely than people in Albany to rely on the public transportation system; a system that is non-congruent with the needs of many women.

Today, the prevalence of car ownership in the suburb allows women to access a wider range of services such as employment opportunities. It also allows them to spend less time commuting. This contrasts with the previous view of the suburbs as limiting women’s mobility. Suburbs are not only

8 Hayden, D. 1980. “What Would A Non-Sexist City Be Like? Speculations on Housing, Urban Design, and Human Work.” Signs S170–S187. doi:http://www.jstor. org/stable/3173814, S171.

9 Hayden, S171.

10 Singh, S. 2014. “Women in Cars: Overtaking Men on the Fast Lane.” Forbes, May 23. https://www.forbes. com/sites/sarwantsingh/2014/05/23/women-in-cars overtaking-men-on-the-fast-lane/?sh=364d481468d2

7 Wekerle, 11.

Women often take multiple trips during the day to drop kids off at school or daycare, run errands, and go to work.15 Not only does this mean that women are having to get on and off public transportation with strollers and multiple bags of shopping, but it also means that they are paying the fare multiple times per day. This is not the only way women pay for their public transit use; the term “pink tax”16 refers to the fact that women experience fear for their safety using public perceived as physically isolating women, but also as socially isolating. Harry Hiller writes that housewives in the suburbs in the 1960s “were thought to be isolated and lone, cut off from traditional kinship and community ties”.20 The view of women as lacking ties to their community and as being lonely in their suburban lives was found to be untrue even in the 1950s and 1960s: “many women continued their social and political engagement even after leaving the city”.21 Although suburbs are characterized as isolating, there are still many opportunities for women to socialize and engage with their environment. In Albany, the smaller community means many informal groups organize themselves. On Madison Avenue, just off Solano Avenue, Brenda hosts a book club that meets once a week to talk over a glass of wine. Albany Bulb, where Solano ends and the beach begins, is known for hosting many dog walks or beach clean ups organized by members of the community. Although there are more formal social institutions in San Francisco, there are still many informal ways in Albany for women to gather and participate in their community. Another instance of community organization in Albany occurs on National Night Out, a day in the United States where neighborhoods host parties to socialize with their community. In Albany, the community hosts block parties organized amongst neighbors. In contrast, National Night Out parties in San Francisco are organized by formal institutions; they occur in parks or in community spaces.22

11 Singh, 2014.

12 Frank, 134.

13 Data USA, 2021.

14 Data USA, 2021.

15 Filkobski, Ina. 2022. “Gender.” SOCI 222 Lecture presented at the SOCI 222, November 1.

16 Rodriguez, J. 2018. “Women Say ‘Pink Tax’ in SF Transit All Too Real.” SF Examiner, November 21.

17 Rodriguez, 2018.

18 Rodriguez, 2018.

19 Wekerle, 12.

As can be seen in the case of National Night Out, the community ties in Albany can be more stronger due to the smaller population size and more direct community involvement. In “Urbanism as a Way of Life,” Louis Wirth characterizes relations in urban life as containing “superficiality,” “anonymity,” and a “transitory character”.23 Wirth touches on the fact that individuals in the city may meet a higher volume of people in their daily interactions, but these interactions lack meaning. Hiller explains Wirth’s theories using the notion of secondary relations, which are “fleeting exchanges between strangers or routine instrumental interactions”24 that render urban residents “incapable of developing deep, personal connections”. Although Wirth’s theories may verge on the extreme, they still point out a key difference for women between socializing in San Francisco and in Albany. While the San Franciscan may see the same barista every day, a resident of Albany is more likely to run into a friend while out running errands or form a close bond with their neighbors. The high volume of people in the city has also been equated with a diversity that exists in the city but is lacking in the suburbs. However, in the present day, a variety of residents live in the suburbs. Hiller writes that “today’s suburbs are also more diverse than they have ever been, with dual worker households, aging populations, single parents, non-family households, multi-generational families, and ethnic enclaves”.25 Albany reflects this trend with racial and ethnic diversity—the largest groups being White, Asian, and Multi-Racial—and a variety of different family compositions.26 On Madison Avenue in Albany, there is a house of college students, a woman living alone with her teenage daughter, and a young married couple who just had their second child. Today, suburbs are more diverse than ever, meaning women can feel comfortable living their lifestyle of preference and are offered a multitude of opportunities to develop meaningful community ties.

Suburbs have been condemned for lacking essential services for women such as those for work, raising children, and running errands.27 Although commuting from the suburb to the city for employment was once common practice, more employment opportunities have relocated to the suburbs. In her study focusing on the San Francisco Bay Area, Kristin Nelson examines “the process of relocating so-called subordinate office and administration activities from cities to the suburbs for reasons of reducing costs”.28 This process has been labeled “the third and most mature wave of suburbanization”.29 Many services and jobs are now present in suburban areas previously disjointed from the physical job market. This shift was beneficial to the suburban woman: “the decentralization of back offices also helped to systematically access the sought-after pool of a female workforce which had not been available beforehand due to socio-spatial isolation”.30 Although San Francisco hosts a bustling tech job market, Albany offers its fair share of employment opportunities; for example, law offices, architecture firms, and contracting firms. In addition to employment opportunities, Albany has many options for childcare, an essential service for women in the workforce. Albany has many daycares and preschools, three elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools.31 There are also a variety of options for consumers, including both retail needs and food shopping. Despite previous criticisms of the suburbs lacking essential services for women, present day Albany offers a large variety of services for employment, childcare, consumption, and education.

20 Hiller, Harry H., 2014. “Gender and the City.” Essay. In Urban Canada. Don Mills, Ontario, Canada: Oxford University Press, 93. 21 Frank, 133.

22 “12 Different ‘National Night out’ Sf Block Parties & Free Bbqs.” 2022. SF Fun and Cheap https://sf.funcheap.com/12-nationalnight-sf-block parties-free-bbqs-2022/.

23 Wirth, Louis. 1938. “Urbanism as a Way of Life.” American Journal of Sociology 44 (1): 1–24. doi:10.1086/217913, 12.

24 Hiller, Harry H., 2014. “Social Ties and Community in Urban Places.” Essay. In Urban Canada Don Mills, Ontario, Canada: Oxford University Press, 91.

25 Hiller, 239.

26 Data USA, 2021.

27 Wekerle, 11.

28 Frank, 139.

29 Lewis, Paul George. 1996. Shaping Suburbia: How Political Institutions Organize Urban Development. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: University of Pittsburgh Press, 6.

30 Frank, 140.

31 “Albany Unified School District Home.” 2023. Albany Unified School District Accessed March 13. https://www.ausdk12.org/

While the inclusion of essential services ameliorated the experience of suburban life for women, there are still lingering challenges surrounding inequities in urban spaces. There is a lack of consideration for women’s urban experiences in city planning, leading to a disconnect between the design of the city and how women use the urban space. This affects not only suburbs but spans all levels of urban forms, from the smallest village to the largest city. As a result, women must struggle with their urban environment or find ways to adapt to inadequacies. In order to create more inclusive and accessible urban spaces, it is crucial to include women in the planning process and to design spaces that are oriented towards integrating women seamlessly into their urban communities.

References

“12 Different ‘National Night out’ Sf Block Parties & Free Bbqs.” 2022. SF Fun and Cheap. https://sf.funcheap.com/12-national-night-sf-block parties-free-bbqs-2022/

“Albany Unified School District Home.” 2023. Albany Unified School District. Accessed March 13. https://www.ausdk12.org/

“Albany, CA.” 2021. Data USA. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/albany-ca.

Filkobski, Ina. 2022. “Gender.” SOCI 222. Lecture presented at the SOCI 222, November 1.

Gerwig, Greta, dir. 2017. Lady Bird. A24.

Hayden, D. 1980. “What Would A Non-Sexist City Be Like? Speculations on Housing, Urban Design, and Human Work.” Signs, S170–S187. doi:http://www.jstor.org/stable/3173814

Hiller, Harry H., 2014. “Social Ties and Community in Urban Places.” Essay. In Urban Canada. Don Mills, Ontario, Canada: Oxford University Press.

Hiller, Harry H., 2014. “Gender and the City.” Essay. In Urban Canada. Don Mills, Ontario, Canada: Oxford University Press.

Hutchinson, Ray, Judith N. DeSena, and Susanne Frank. 2009. “Gender Trouble in Paradise: Suburbia Reconsidered.” Essay. In Gender in an Urban World. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Lewis, Paul George. 1996. Shaping Suburbia: How Political Institutions Organize Urban Development. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: University of Pittsburgh Press.

Rodriguez, J. 2018. “Women Say ‘Pink Tax’ in SF Transit All Too Real.” SF Examiner, November 21.

“San Francisco, CA.” 2021. Data USA. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/san francisco-ca.

Scott, Allen J., Michael Storper, and K Nelson. 1988. “Labor Demand, Labor Supply and the Suburbanization of Low-Wage Office Work.” Essay. In Production, Work, Territory: The Geographical Anatomy of Industrial Capitalism, 149–71. Boston, Massachusettes : Allen and Unwin.

Singh, S. 2014. “Women in Cars: Overtaking Men on the Fast Lane.” Forbes, May 23. https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarwantsingh/2014/05/23/women-in-cars-overtaking-men-onthe-fast-lane/?sh=364d481468d2.

Wekerle, G. 2006. “A Woman’s Place Is in the City.” Antipode. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8330.1984. tb00069.x.

Whole. 2013. The Carrie Diaries. The CW.

Wirth, Louis. 1938. “Urbanism as a Way of Life.” American Journal of Sociology 44 (1): 1–24. doi:10.1086/217913.