"Levittown in Long Island, New York, was one of the first to introduce the idea of a pre-planned, mass-produced uniform suburban community, The New York Times reported. Families started moving there on October 1, 1947. Though the community welcomed an influx of families, non-white prospects weren't allowed. Notably, African Americans didn't see the same benefits from the GI Bill, and it would take some years before racial and ethnic minorities broadly shifted to the suburbs."
"In 1946, 3.4 million babies were born, more than ever before, and 20% more than in 1945, per History.com. This trend continued into the '50s. By the end of the boom in 1964, this generation made up 40% of the country's population. Most historians think it was because Americans were eager to have families after having postponed marriage and childbirth because of the Great Depression and World War II. Whatever the reason, people flocked to the suburbs to accommodate their growing families."
After World War II, many families used GI Bill home‑loan provisions to move out of cities into newly developed suburban communities. Levittown on Long Island became an early model of pre‑planned, mass‑produced uniform suburb housing, beginning occupancy in October 1947, but it excluded non‑white buyers and African Americans did not equally benefit from GI Bill provisions. The 1950 Census showed 60% urban and 40% suburban residence, a balance that shifted with highway construction, farmland development, and Cold War safety concerns. The Baby Boom, beginning in 1946 with 3.4 million births, intensified demand for suburban family space through the 1950s and early 1960s.
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