1. After WWII, there was a major expansion of suburban development driven by federal, state and local planning initiatives. This included new highways, zoning laws, government-backed mortgages, and large-scale planned communities like Levittown. 2. The GI Bill provided benefits to WWII veterans including low-cost mortgages, contributing to the housing shortage and demand for new suburban homes. 3. Developers like Levitt & Sons capitalized on this demand through mass-produced planned communities with standardized homes and community amenities. However, these suburbs were often rigidly segregated.