Levittown

Levittown Definition

Levittown refers to a specific model for American suburban housing, representing the pinnacle of mass production techniques applied to residential development in the United States. Established by Abraham Levitt and his sons, it became the standard template for suburban living, fundamentally transforming the housing industry through the application of assembly line methods. The significance of Levittown lies not only in its scale—involving 17,400 single-family homes built on 4,000 acres—but also in the industrial and social mechanisms employed to achieve this unprecedented level of efficiency and affordability.

Industrial Production and Methodology

The success of Levittown was predicated on an absolute Taylorisation of the building process. The Levitts achieved mass production by breaking down construction into a set of detailed, manageable steps, which were then divided among numerous labourers. This system allowed for the subcontracting of individual tasks while the Levitts retained control over all materials and equipment. This structure enabled them to exert complete control over the entire production cycle, including the use of non-union labour, ensuring that houses could be produced at significantly lower costs than competitors, allowing the family to secure substantial profits on each unit.

Economic Structure

Financially, the Levitt and Sons enterprise operated through a vertically integrated system where all materials were sourced and sold via companies owned by the family. This consolidation of ownership ensured that all profits, from raw materials like lumber to final unit sales, were concentrated within the family structure. This operational framework resulted in extreme efficiency, streamlined profit flows directly to the Levitts, and an outsourcing mechanism that demanded strict adherence to tight budgets and timelines from contractors.

Sociological Study

The social impact of Levittown has been explored by subsequent researchers examining the emergence of new suburban communities. For instance, Hebert Gans studied Levittown, New Jersey (later renamed Willingboro), investigating the social and democratic systems developing within this new setting between 1958 and 1962. Research into the Levittowners revealed that their community developed through internal negotiations among residents rather than adhering to a single, predetermined vision of suburban life. Later studies, such as those by Baxandall and Ewen examining the New York Levittown, demonstrated how the physical environment evolved over time. Modern Levittown reflects significant demographic shifts, incorporating diverse home designs, racial and ethnic diversification, and the presence of multi-generational families, reflecting much of the diversity found in contemporary inner-city environments.