MAN: Excuse me, are we stopping at the art museum next? For an hour?

WOMAN: Yes, it has a wonderful collection of eighteenth-century furniture. I think you’ll find it very interesting.

MAN: Yes, I think you’re right, which is why I wanted to ask if we could stay longer. I doubt an hour will be enough time.

WOMAN: I’m afraid we’re on a tight schedule. If we stay longer, we won’t be able to get to the rest of our stops.

MAN: But couldn’t I stay longer? I don’t mind missing the next stop. I really don’t like wine—not really into tasting and drinking. Perhaps you can come back and get me?

WOMAN: Sorry, I’m afraid we can’t do that either. If I approve such a thing for you, everyone will want to be staying longer here and there.

WOMAN: Is everyone ready for lunch? We’ll be stopping at a popular vegetarian restaurant shortly.

MAN: Couldn’t we stop somewhere else instead? I’m not sure I like vegetarian food. Maybe we could go to a place that sells burgers and fries?

WOMAN: I’m afraid we’ve already booked a restaurant. With a group this size, it’s hard to find enough tables at the last minute. We also want quick service since we’re on a schedule.

MAN: Yes, but we haven’t paid yet. There are probably other restaurants nearby. Couldn’t we all just go where we want and meet back at the bus at, say, one o’clock?

WOMAN: I’d rather the group stay together, sir. If anyone gets lost or into some kind of trouble—

MAN: I’m sure we can manage. We’re all adults here.

WOMAN: I’m sorry, sir—I didn’t mean to imply you couldn’t manage on your own. But accidents can happen, and I’d like to be able to provide help in that case.

MAN: Excuse me, could we go back? I forgot my umbrella at the restaurant.

WOMAN: Oh dear, it’s quite a way back. We wouldn’t be able to keep to our schedule.

MAN: But it is looking like rain, and I’d really like to have my umbrella.

WOMAN: The rest of our stops are indoors, and I’d be happy to lend you my umbrella, sir.

MAN: But I’d really like to go back and get my own umbrella. It’s an expensive one.

WOMAN: What I’ll do right now is call the restaurant and ask them to keep it safe until you can go back on your own. Would that be okay? Or perhaps they’ll send it to you, if you’d give them your address.

MAN: That’s a great idea—thank you! I’d be able to pick it up after the tour. I suppose I can use my raincoat in the meantime.

MAN: It’s a hot one today, isn’t it? WOMAN: Yes, it is very hot. Our apartment doesn’t have air conditioning, so I really look forward to being here in the park in the middle of the day!

MAN: Same here, and for the same reason! It’s nice that these benches are in the shade and still close enough to the playground equipment. Minji doesn’t look very happy today—is your daughter ill?

WOMAN: No, Minji’s fine. She wanted to go to the swimming pool, but I said ‘no.’ It’s just too long a bus ride on a hot day like today.

MAN: I know what you mean. You know, I was thinking, before you came, that they should have some sprinklers or fountains here, for the kids to play in. There’s an open space right over there that’s not being used.

WOMAN: They say we’ll be having more hot spells like this . . .

MAN: It could be a lot of fun—there could be water shooting out of different spouts, some stationary and some spinning around . . . We could call it a sprinkler playground! It should be free, of course!

WOMAN: Of course, and you know, letting kids run through sprinklers would probably be a lot more hygienic than letting them swim in a communal pool. I confess I worry about what Minji might catch when she goes swimming at the pool—ear infections, eye infections . . .

MAN: You might be right. The water would continuously wash away. The kids could still wear their bathing suits, but also sneakers or special water shoes.

WOMAN: I suspect a sprinkler playground would use less water than a swimming pool. Did you know that they’re talking about rationing the water again this summer, at least for watering lawns?

MAN: Yes, I heard that. Perhaps I should send my suggestion to the City Parks and Recreation Department

. WOMAN: I think you should! On a day like today, even I’d use it. Just as I am!

MAN: Hi, welcome to Music And More. Can I help you?

WOMAN: Hi! Yes, I’m looking for either a guitar or a drum set. It’s for my son, for his birthday. He’s always wanted either of those two instruments. Could you tell me a little bit about both?

MAN: Has your son played either instrument before?

WOMAN: Well, he had a toy drum set when he was five and loved it so much that he broke it. He’s thirteen now. His friends all play guitar and sometimes he tries playing on their guitars, but he’s never taken lessons. I’d prefer if he played the guitar. I think drums would be too noisy, our house has very poor sound insulation.

MAN: Well, we have options that will make both you and your son happy. We sell regular drum sets, but if soundproofing is a concern we do sell electronic drums that you can plug headphones into, so then you won’t hear a thing.

WOMAN: Wow! That certainly would be nice. What about guitars?

MAN: You could get a classical acoustic guitar, or an electric guitar. For a beginner, I’d recommend a classical acoustic with nylon strings. Nylon strings are softer on the fingers and are much easier to learn on

. WOMAN: All his friends have electric guitars, so he’d probably want an electric one too.

MAN: The good thing about the electric guitar is that, like electronic drums, he can plug headphones in and you won’t hear him practice. However, electric guitars have steel strings. They can be quite painful on the fingers for beginners, and he may get frustrated and give up quickly.

WOMAN: I see. Well there’s quite a few options. Which is the most affordable?

MAN: An electronic drum set would set you back the most. They start at around $700. A beginner electric guitar would be a lot cheaper and a regular acoustic guitar would be the cheapest. We have some nice quality ones that are on sale right now

. WOMAN: I think an electric guitar might be the way to go. I know it has steel strings, but I think he’d get used to it. Could you show me some?

MAN: Certainly! We have a great variety of styles. Please follow me!

Recently arrived residents Mike and Paula Hendricks are delighted that the community garden they started this spring in their townhouse complex in Arnprior, Ontario, has turned out to be a big hit. The couple have been avid gardeners for years. Mike said they were disappointed that there weren’t any nearby community gardens to join. They decided to start their own.

They soon found that almost everyone in the area was enthusiastic about the idea. A team of thirty residents converted a large unused patch of grass into gardening plots. They filled the beds with soil and compost. They also dug a pond to collect rainwater for watering plants.

Now the garden is packed with vegetables, flowers, and people. One resident, Atsuko Tanaka, said that it’s a great place to hang out and socialize with the neighbours. Another man said he was delighted to find that growing his own vegetables cut down his grocery bill. The local wildlife seem to benefit as well. Gardener and biologist John Cheney, who is researching frog populations in the area, is thrilled that the pond is now home to a species of endangered frogs. Paula said there’s something for everyone in the community garden.

Suburbs: They’re a curious beast. They’re neither urban nor rural, and their sole purpose is to provide a space for domestic life. With their homogenous architecture and thematic subdivisions, they’re often perceived as ugly. Their visual monotony stems in part from the fact they were meticulously planned—in contrast to city centres, which evolved organically and haphazardly over time, in response to changing economic influences.

But ever since the internal combustion engine revolutionized commuting, the suburbs have attracted the inhabitants of the cramped and chaotic inner city and lured them out to the periphery.

In the 1970s, essayist Narendra Bansal described how this would-be paradise evolved to embody the worst of the post-modern world. Bansal said that suburbanites had opted out of the vibrant urban communities that held society together. She predicted that suburbanites’ alienation and boredom would eventually give rise to an anxiety epidemic. This anxiety, she felt, would eventually make suburbanites return to closer-knit, psychologically healthier urban neighborhoods. So in fact, the prefabricated houses and manicured lawns that gave the suburbs their initial appeal would eventually be their downfall. In 2008, suburban sprawl was curtailed by the financial crisis. It was then that Bansal went from disdain to doom-mongering. She famously declared that the death of the suburb was at hand.

This dismal view of suburbia was unwarranted, says demographer Leigh Stevanoic. She maintains that families and professionals are flocking to the suburbs—especially in the developing world, where rapid economic growth has been associated with declining urban density. Stevanoic suggests that as populations gain in wealth, they consume more goods and take up more space. This trend, she says, is proof that we are not witnessing suburbia’s demise. Instead, she believes we are witnessing how a growing global middle class is affecting settlement patterns.

Sociologist and bestselling author Manuel Rubio observes that millions of people around the globe are lining up to swap urban frenzy for suburban tranquility. However, Rubio questions whether global suburbia can survive the war on global warming, since car culture is one of suburbia’s most persistent features. Meanwhile, in the first world, Rubio sees the young, the bored, and the frustrated turning their collective backs on the white picket fence world they sprang from. To Rubio, this suggests that suburban life satisfies people who are willing to settle for less, but that it can’t satisfy the appetites of those eager for material success. Perhaps Bansal’s prophecy of mass anxiety is being realized in at least some of the population.