"Suburban cities" is a very funny concept to me. Typically the suburbs are not a part of the city.

"Transplant this pattern onto a suburb and it breaks." Well, we're talking about the city, aren't we?

Let's pick a city, I'll let you choose, and tell me which suburb within that city is a classic example of the pattern you feel is commonplace. Then we can discuss a concrete plan.

> "Suburban cities" is a very funny concept to me.

An example near and dear to me is Portland. Although there is an urban core, so some people would claim it is not in fact a suburban city, the footprint of the city is dominated by single family homes. And generally not the endless modern tract variety, either.

Appleton, WI.

You've got:

Grand Chute, Kimberly, Little Chute, Combined Locks, Harrison, Fox Crossing, Greenville, etc.

Show me where you think the main hub of this area is that many people all want to go to that a train or more unused city buses will solve.