Stunning Aerial Photos - Suburban Neighborhoods Around the World

I came across this amazing collection of photos, Earth from Above , by Yann Arthus-Bertrand , a French photographer, journalist, and environmentalist. The whole collection is worth taking some time to scan through. I was most struck by the images that portray such a diversity of the ways people around the world live together in neighborhoods, that here I will define as suburbs. I know I’m straining that definition by some of the settings that are closer to city centers, but I think it’s a helpful designation for taking in the contrasts. Here are my favorites. Some of the questions these photos provoke for me are: What do these images say about the ways we relate? How do they reflect our social networks? What do they say about our relationship to the natural environment? How dependent are these neighborhoods on fossil fuels?

Denver Suburb, Colorado

Copenhagen Suburb, Denmark

Sha Kibbutz, Israel Suburb

Egyptian Suburb, Mit Gahmr Delta

Cape Town Suburb, South Africa

Lagos Houseboat Suburb, Nigeria