Introduction

Levittown is the ultimate symbol of American Suburbia – which, in turn, is the ultimate symbol of the 1950s and of the early Cold War era. Although it was only one of many large-scale housing projects in the late 1940s and early ‘50s, Levittown has become one of the best known housing projects in the history of the United States. Partially because of its scale and partially because of its legacy, Levittown illustrates many typical characteristics of American society in the decade after the Second World War – the most obvious one of which is of course the rise of suburbs in general.

Because the argument can be made that suburbs defined American culture in the 1950s, it can also be claimed that suburbs reflected American society, namely in two ways: the rise of mass consumerism and the efforts put into segregating society. This site will hopefully make clear that Levittown is in fact – among other things – a symbol of American consumerism and racism. Moreover, it will illustrate what kind of influence a private businessman - William J. Levitt - can have over public space by determining how a place looks and who lives there.