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Suburban Development

Definition

Suburban development refers to the process of building residential areas outside of the central city, typically characterized by low-density housing and a focus on single-family homes. It involves the expansion of urban areas into previously undeveloped or rural land.

Analogy

Think of suburban development like a pizza expanding its crust. The central city is the original slice, and as more people move outwards, new slices are added to accommodate the growing population.

Related terms

Levittown: Levittown was one of the first mass-produced suburbs in the United States, built by William Levitt after World War II. It served as a model for suburban development with its standardized houses and emphasis on affordable homeownership.

White Flight: White flight refers to the phenomenon where white residents leave urban areas in large numbers to move to predominantly white suburbs. This often resulted in increased racial segregation within cities.

Interstate Highway System: The construction of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s played a crucial role in suburban development by improving transportation infrastructure and making it easier for people to commute from suburbs to jobs in cities.