Where Did High Density Suburbs Begin?

The suburb has its origins in the post-WWII building boom.

High-density suburbs have their origins in abandoned potato fields in Nassau County, N.Y., about 30 miles northeast of New York City. After World War II, the return of hundreds of thousands of veterans spurred a boom in the housing market that couldn't be addressed by existing urban housing.

Origins

William Levitt is given credit for creating the first suburb in Hempstead, N.Y. Levitt was a real estate lawyer who had built low-cost housing for Navy shipbuilders in Norfolk, Va., during World War II. In 1947, Levitt announced plans to build 2,000 rental homes for veterans. More than half were rented within two days of the announcement.

Building methods

Levitt used mass-production techniques pioneered by Henry Ford to build the homes rapidly. He used a standard floor plan for all homes and didn't build a basement, cutting costs. Building an entire house took 26 separate steps.

Popularity

Levitt expanded the subdivision in 1949, building 25-foot-by-32-foot "ranch" houses that sold for $90 down, and a $58-per-month payment. The popularity of the subdivision landed Levitt on the cover of TIME magazine in July 1950. By 1951, more than 17,000 Levitt houses had been sold.

References

• Levittown Historical Society
• Long Island Exchange: Levittown, Long Island
• University of Houston: Digital History - Postwar America, 1945-60