Being someone who spends a fair amount of my time dealing with AI, I asked Microsoft Copilot (which is being put in my face an awful lot these days) to deal with a somewhat ordinary question as to the origin of suburbs. This is what it found:

Sure! The concept of suburbs has evolved significantly over time. Here’s a detailed explanation of their historical origin and notable precursors:

Historical Origin of Suburbs

Early Beginnings:

• Ancient Times: The idea of living outside a city while still being connected to it isn’t new. For instance, in ancient Persia, people lived in areas close to Babylon, enjoying the benefits of the city while avoiding its noise and pollution.
• Roman Empire: In ancient Rome, there were areas outside the city walls where lower-class citizens lived. These areas were less densely populated and offered a quieter lifestyle.

19th and 20th Centuries:

• Industrial Revolution: The development of rail and road transport during the 19th and 20th centuries played a crucial role in the emergence of suburbs. Improved transportation allowed people to live farther from their workplaces in the city while still being able to commute easily.
• Post-World War II: The post-war economic boom, particularly in the United States, led to a significant increase in suburban development. The GI Bill provided veterans with low-interest loans to buy homes, and the rise of car culture made commuting from suburban areas more feasible.

Notable Precursors to Suburbs

Streetcar Suburbs:

• Montreal, Canada: In the late 1800s, Montreal developed streetcar suburbs, where residential areas were built along streetcar lines, allowing residents to commute to the city center easily.

Planned Communities:

• Llewellyn Park, New Jersey: Created in 1853, Llewellyn Park is often considered one of the first planned suburban communities in the United States. It featured large lots and a focus on green spaces.

Levittown, New York:

• Post-World War II: Levittown, built in 1947, is widely recognized as the first modern American suburb. It was a mass-produced housing development that provided affordable homes for returning soldiers and their families.

Early Examples in Europe:

• Rome, Italy: During the 1920s, areas were created outside Rome for lower-class citizens, which can be considered early examples of suburbs.

These early developments laid the groundwork for the suburban lifestyle we know today, characterized by residential areas with single-family homes, green spaces, and a focus on community living.

Does this help clarify the origins and evolution of suburbs for you?

Does it help, Co-Pilot? I think so. I do have some quibbles, though, about the response. For one, the response is in the bullet-point format that I do not like very much as it avoids more useful explanation of the material in favor of short statements that are more like conclusions than investigations. For another, I dislike the overuse of evolution to speak of change or maturation or development. This is a problem a lot of AI responses have, in fact, is an overreliance on using the term evolution for things that were thought out or at least the outgrowth of conscious and intentional and planned actions, which really is not an appropriate use of the term at all given its semantic field.