Why did mass suburbanization occur in the United States?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Mass suburbanization is a relatively recent development. In the United States, it arose out of a complex set of social factors. One factor was the economic and technological developments that made it possible for people to live far from where they worked. In addition to these economic developments, government policy also contributed to suburbanization. For example, the federal government paid 80 percent of the cost of developing the interstate highway system. Another encouragement to the development of suburbs were policies of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), established in 1934, and the Veterans Administration (VA). Beginning in the 1930s, the FHA and the VA made available federally guaranteed mortgage loans for the purchase of new homes. Because land outside the cities was both inexpensive and available, this was where much of the construction took place. The FHA and VA did not provide loans to purchase existing homes or build apartments—policies that would have encouraged people to continue living in the cities.