I also think people underestimate the desire of men to have their wives and childern living in the suburbs that would survive if a nuclear bomb hit the downtown. By the mid 60's there were so many bombs that this did not make much sense any more, but the roads were already built and there are some nice things about having a large house and a yard.

This is no joke. My father used a map of likely nuclear fallout when choosing where his family would live.