[crisp444]

Thanks for the explanation - at least forests don't have to be cleared in order to build the new homes. Another thing I notice about your Midtwestern US photos is that very few of the homes are fenced or walled, even when the houses are built very close to one another. I know that most suburbs here in the US (save some in California and Florida) rarely have gates/walls in the front of the yard, but I am surprised to see that the land between the homes is almost never separated. It gives the illusion that these suburbs are like parkland.. more communal than private. Is this a common value in that part of the country? I feel it adds to monotony, but the space does feel more "wide open" than California/Florida/LatinAmerican/European suburbs.