Greenbelt: Was it actually a utopia for families?

Greenbelt represents the American search for perfection. The government wanted to create a utopia for families that would depict an enthusiastic, cooperative community for the rest of the country.

The family selection in Greenbelt was a major aspect of its success. If interviewers had not spent so much time and care in selecting appropriate tenants, Greenbelt might not have experienced the positive results it did. A genuine caring for the whole and spirit of enterprise was needed in order for it to become a close knit community. The families chosen not just willing, but excited to participate in this experiment in modern living. This drive can be seen just by the development of thirty-five new organizations that were created within the first year.

The group of families selected were most likely young and homogeneous for a reason. Homogeneous groups would have a greater tendency to cooperate. Younger families also had a greater enthusiasm for their new start on life. These new families would have lifestyles that wound be open to a new type of community. In essence, they would adapt easily to Greenbelt's environment. The selection committee recognized the fact that similarity in outlooks would encourage them to live and work well together.

In general, families seemed to be happy in Greenbelt. In today's mindset the strict rules, codes and regulations in would be seen as very negative aspects of a suburban community. However, during the Depression, people lost hope and had little sense of direction. Young families especially, had very few options to begin their lives and Greenbelt's opportunities, aside from the regulations, attracted these families to its secure environment.

The exclusionary measures of Greenbelt have become a precedent and are a portrayal of the idealized vision of suburbia itself. Suburban families and communities constantly deal with the suburban pressures of community life. However, despite these exclusions, families have conformed to these regulations and exclusions because of the fact that suburbia, Greenbelt included, contains safer and healthier aspects of community life. Greenbelt did eventually change its strict exclusions and became a more diverse community. Eventually, the town found this balance between exclusions and diversity and proved itself a model town for suburbs throughout America.