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This is an inquiry into the evolution of the North American suburb by way of review of notable historical precedents of various types of suburban developments. / A precept of this thesis is that the current, dominant form of urbanization is of a suburban nature, characterized by vast areas of low-density, single-use, disjointed compartments of daily life; that suburbanization has become the physical de-construction of community; and that suburbanization at its most extreme is ultimately deleterious to a healthy society and environmentally unsustainable. The suburban environment is far from the desired ideal and in fact is an aberration. / Given our seemingly innate desire for the ideal of a "home within a garden," and through the inquiry into the successes and failures of past planned suburbs, it is hoped that a better understanding and a melding of the ideal and an equitable reality can be obtained, promoting a healthy, vibrant sense of community that is environmentally sustainable. / The examples of planned suburban precedents that are examined include industrial towns, railroad and streetcar suburbs, as well as pre- and post-war automobile suburbs. Also there is some examination of utopian and alternative planning theories as well as contemporary examples of successful planned communities. All of which provide a greater understanding of the principles that must be applied to address the issues of our future urbanization process, which will likely be of a suburban nature. / It is hoped that through this inquiry into successful suburban precedents, that a clearer understanding can be achieved of how to more closely attain the individual ideal of a home within a garden, while balancing the collective needs of a community and sustainability, within an inherently chaotic, free-market process.