Mass Production Suburbs Lec #10 Flashcards
What occured post WW2 in cities?
mass suburbanization
As of 2021, what % of US population lives in suburbs?
51% (in 1940, it was only 13.4%)
What is the Arcadian myth? Where did it come from?
A peaceful, pastoral existence that idealizes rural life, close to nature is the best life
Reaction to industrialization, suburbs should be a mix of city and country
Who is Andrew Jackson Downing?
landscape architect who discussed suburban idealization in 1850s
What were suburbs like before WW2?
the “village” model
- like commuter rail villages (Mount Royal)
- mostly upper and middle class folks
- small scale
- main transport was suburb-city commuter rails
Describe Don Mills, Ontario
An early post-war suburb
- built from 1952-65
-highly influential across Canada
-restricted house design but not mass produced
-inspired by garden city
-mixed housing and land use
-used neighbourhood units
What is a mass production suburb?
Purely residental suburbs
- land was bought by developers who then mass produced houses and created a lifestyle of the town
They are focused on privitization, mass consumption, and the idea of ownership
Why were mass production suburbs made?
Post WW2 there was an explosion of urban growth caused by:
- rapid expansion of middle class
-rise of automobile ownership
-freeways
- 30 year mortage creation
This rapid expansion needed something quciker than the exisiting suburb plans
What are some ways mass production suburbs focused on privatization?
- favoured personal cars over bus/trains
- built private pools with the houses rather than a public shared one
- had a strong private-public distinction, family life occurs in private
What is Levittown?
The prototype of the mass suburb
Started building in 1947, used pre-fabricated buildings (like the ones used in the army)
- built in 4 years, over 17000 homes
-Neighbourhood is centred around schools to be attractive to buyers
- very developer driven, didn’t like urban planners
-only white people could live there, even when segregation was banned, it happened informally (wouldn’t approve loans/let buy)
What were the styles of houses in Levittown?
cape cod or rancher style, one level, small, included appliances, all the same furniture with oppurtunity to renovation
- they were criticized for lack of creativity, every house is mass production product
What was the landscape of Levittown like?
criticized for being dull
a symbol of post-war conformity and mass production culture
–> this kind of development created a standardized lifestyle where people were encouraged to blend in (SOCIAL STANDARDIZATION)
How did Levittown create social standardization?
- sold a lifestyle that everyone should/could have
- useless consumption
-trading autonomy and free thought got material and social status - racial exclusion
What are some “Revisionist interpretations” of Levittown?
- allowed for class mobility since home ownership became more accessible
- “sweat equity” allowed for rennovations that would inc the house’s value
What is the modern suburb like>
mass production and mass consumption
hyper privatized landscape
focused on economic motives, not social reform
tool of racial segregation
extensive urbanization (creates dependence on automobiles and intensive use of energy)
Who was Bill O’Reilly?
resident of Levittown, NY
Fox news anchor
crazy conservative who liked levittown as white-centred and picket-fenced
