Suburb Futures is a
design institute that builds civic infrastructures in US suburbs.

We are a coalition of suburban residents and civic & community leaders who work together to advance equitable and sustainable futures in U.S. suburbs.

Civic House Party?

Warm Cookies of the Revolution an Suburb Futures created the Aurora *Civic House Party Series to support residents of Aurora, Colorado to host house parties that engage their communities in civic action.

Civic and home are not often thought of together, but the home is an essential space for community and civic life where meaningful conversations and gatherings that build and bridge community can take place. 

We provide party stipends and planning support for party hosts to envision and host their civic parties.

About

What is America? “A nation of suburbs, a nation of immigrants” (S. Mitra Kalita, Suburban Sahibs).  Yet, suburbs remain locked in stereotypes as ‘ticky tacky boxes’ and their dynamism and potential to advance pluralism in America is misunderstood. Some suburbs are more socio-economically, culturally, and racially diverse than their counterpart cities. National narratives, research, and policy agendas have not caught up with the realities of this most common US context. More community organizations and community-led approaches are needed to build a new civic infrastructure in U.S. suburbs.

Suburb Futures invests in building coalitions of residents and leaders from within and across U.S. suburbs who can tell the complex intercultural stories, build participation, and craft policies that reflect the potential of suburbs to become sites of housing, immigration, and mobility equity and sustainability.

"Suburb Futures fills a much needed void in organizations supporting the suburbs, helping to realize the latent demand and potential for inclusive places and placemaking amongst the American land use pattern most ready for adaptation and reinvention."
- Ethan Kent, Placemaking X

Media and Publications

Relational Design for Transitions Within US Suburbs 

Carnegie Mellon University, Doctoral Dissertation
May 2024

Relational Design for Sustainability in US Suburbs 

Cumulus, Design for Adaptation
May 2023

How Aurora, Colorado is using mobile ‘public spaces’ to address the challenges of suburban social service delivery

Brookings, Erica Dorn
January 11, 2022

Civic Mobility and Suburban Futures

Design in Transition/Diseño en Transición, Podcast
January 11, 2022

Watch to learn more...

Suburb Futures is project initiated by Erica Dorn, PhD, Assistant Professor of Design and Innovation at Oregon State University.

Suburb Futures is a partner of Warm Cookies of the Revolution, a civic health club based in Colorado.

Thank you to our supporters Humanity In Action, Alfred Landecker Foundation, Colorado Latino Foundation, Colorado Health Foundation, and Carnegie Mellon University School of Design.

Cover photo adapted from Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite, "A thousand or more protesters marched onto I-25 during a series of rallies demanding justice for Elijah McClain. June 27, 2020", used with permission."