Petrol prices have risen to historic highs, disrupting western economies and stretching household budgets. Australia's overwhelming reliance on the private motor car for urban mobility makes our cities among the most oil-dependent in the world, and to date there has been little analysis of the potential social, economic and political impacts of rising fuel costs on our cities. Shocking the Suburbs considers current urban transport problems, and identifies how new planning strategies and broader public policy can address oil vulnerability.