The Rise of the suburbs

Cultural hedgemonyThe Rise of the Suburbs

Originally written and sung by Malvina Reynolds in 1962About housing developments built in the post-war era by Henry Doelger near Daly City, California, particularly the neighborhood of WestlakePete Seeger Little Boxes (1963)

Early Definition of the SuburbSuburb (burgus, suburbium, suburbis)Sub (below, lower) + urb (city)

In 1850s, urban slaves required to live close to owners, but not in same homeliving out systemsome blacks moved to edges of townSuburbs socially and economically inferior to cities when wind, muscle, water power were primary movers of civilizationsuggested inferior manners, narrowness of view, physical squalor

The 1800sTechnological advances in transportation (steam boat/ferry, railroad, omnibus) population growthEasier to travel from home to work, home to city

Late 1890s, suburban image distinct from large citiesAttitudinal/behavioral shift in concept of familySingle-family housing becomes ideal middle-class housingGarden CitiesLlewellyn Park, Riverside, Garden CityMost ambitiously planned suburbs of 19th cent. (also most conspicuous failures)Tried to change traditional pattern of home ownership

Consequences:Americans move to metropolitan fringesNeed dwelling option that falls between dense development and rural environmentMust cooperate with instead of remove natural topographyMust have full ownership of home

Post-WWIIMarriage and birth rates high, but not enough homes for sale/apartments for rentCongress regularly approved billions of dollars in additional mortgage insurance for Federal Housing Administration (FHA)Created Servicemens Readjustment Act of 1944Veterans Administration (VA) mortgage programSupported 16 million GIs coming homeAssured federal mortgage guarantees at whatever price the builder set stimulated unprecedented housing boom

Suburban HousingSingle Family Starts:1944: 114,0001946: 937,0001948: 1,183,0001950: 1,692,000 (all-time high)Increase in number, importance, and size of large builders

WWII beneficial to big businessesBefore 1945, typical contractor put up fewer than 5 houses/yearBy 1959, they would put up around 22/year

1934-1953: Amer. suburban pop. rose by 75%1950-1956: suburban housing increased by almost 20%1950s Suburbiaconspicuous consumptionreliance on the private automobileupward mobilitythe separation of family into nuclear unitwidening division between work and leisuretendency toward racial and economic exclusiveness

Low residential densityPenchant for home-ownershipLength of average journey-to-work, in miles or minutesSocioeconomic distinction between center and periphery

Suburbia = fundamental characteristics of American society

Distinguishing elements of American housing cultureThe biggest private housing project in American historyLevittown, New YorkBegan in 1946, with acquisition of 4000 acres of potato farms in town of Hempstead

No man who owns his own house and lot can be a Communist. He has too much to do.

William Levitt, 1948Island Trees25 mi. east of ManhattanTrucks drop off materials at 60-foot intervals on 60x100 lotsBuilt on concrete slab1947-1951: 17,447 homes builtConstruction divided into 27 distinct partsPre-assembled parts, assembly-lineVertical integrationAt peak production, 30+ houses went up per day

Levittown, New York

Buying a Levittown HomeTotal (mortgage, interest, principal, and taxes) less than rentingIncentives for buyingNo down payment, no closing costs, no hidden extras, largest line of credit offered by home builder (FHA and VA advances)Reduced process to two 1/2 hour steps, simplified paperworkFull page ads offered new Bendix washer1948 Harper Magazine: Levitt operation so efficient that it undersold competition by $1500 and still made $1000 profit4.5 rooms, 25x30$7990 (earliest models $6990), rent $60/moExpansion possibilities upstairs in unfinished attic or out into yardThe 1947 Cape Cod Model

50 sq. ft. larger$9500Low roof, deep eaves, pronounced horizontal lines, suggested spacious living, outdoorsThe 1949 Ranch Model

Characteristics of Post-War SuburbsPeripheral location1954: Fortune magazine est. 9 million people moved to suburbs in previous decadeLow-density neighborhoods1946-1956: 97% of all new single-family dwellings completely detached, surrounded by own plotsArchitectural similarityAfter WWI and into post-WWII, Cape Cod cottage became American dream houseEasy availabilityHomes more affordableEconomic, racial homogeneitySort families by income, colorLevitt organization (and others) publically and officially refused to sell to blacks for 20 years after WWIIZoning laws to keep poor people and intrusive industries out of affluent areas

Life in SuburbiaSeparated production from consumption, paid work from home life

Family structure and the dream house were designed around the needs of a bread-winning male and full-time housewife who would provide her prince with a haven from the cold outside world. (Crabgrass Frontier)

Impact of Suburban LifeBreadwinnerMans place in den, lawnDIY-movementGardening, carpentryAvailing sex object, wife, mother, housekeeperTupperware partiesIsolation from work opportunities/other employed adultsMans RoleWomans Role

Impact of Suburban LifeIdeals of the SuburbsMass consumptionPossessive individualismAnti-urbanism(Appearance of) high-quality home, neighborhoodReallocation of SpacePhysical spaceCookie-cutter homes, isolation of nuclear family84% of Amer. households reported less than one person per room1950-1980: 18 of nations 25 largest cities suffered net loss of population, while independent suburbs gained over 60 million residentsTemporal spaceSpatial division of work and residence segmentation between work week and weekend

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