I hated growing up in Canadian suburbs, and in most of North America, they are soulless places where kids and youth have not much to do and are forced to rely o

I hated growing up in Canadian suburbs, and in most of North America, they are soulless places where kids and youth have not much to do and are forced to rely on parents for going to see friends, family, sports etc. Sure -- tucked away cul-de-sacs and side streets might allow the neighbour kids to play games here or there, but are not conducive places for communities to truly engage as their macro environment which has been generally destroyed for anyone outside a car. If you're lucky enough to live near shops, their usually pedestrian hostile seas of parking-lot asphalt where people fly through to get a specific task done, rather than just exist around other people. Peoples lives turn into monotony of Work->Walmart->Home->Repeat... It's honestly a really vile environment. I understand the desire for a large separated home with a yard where it's quieter, but for the suburbs to actually be functional, municipalities need to re-legalize front-yard shopfronts and more public spaces like plazas, community gardens, gazebos etc.