When did housing developments start becoming common?

This was the model.

The famous one was Levittown, built on Long Island for the returning GIs. It was affordable housing and amenities. Construction started in 1944.

http://www.levittownhistoricalsociety.org/history.htm

Mon semblable, ma soeur.

@gc Scary good. If I have to think like anyone, there is no one I would rather it be.

Whatever happened to those house kits Sears sold? When did those stop?

@Marina I grew up in that same exact model of house.

Sears and other house kits

My daughter owns one on the east side of Providence very much like the picture ^^. It is charming. There are a number of similar ones in her “hood.

Sears stopped making them in 1940; apparently sales started to drop off after the depression.

I think it was after the model T and people started moving to the suburbs.

If anyone still sold those, I’d totally do it.
I’ve always loved that idea.

Ikea was rumored to be playing with ship-able housing, but it seems to have morphed into their own housing developments…

There are other companies that sell pre-fab housing… this site has a little search tool but seems a little light on actual content. If nothing else it might give you some names/manufacturers to search for.

Of course there’s always the tiny little houses you can order as well… The New York Times did a good story on some a while back.

Interesting stuff.

@funkdaddy: The tiny houses are charming. Milo wants one.

I live on a street that was a housing development in 1908–1909: identical three-decker three-family houses up each side of the street.

@gailcalled If Milo wants it, you should get it for him. All the other cats have one.

Frank Lloyd Wright developed modular housing concepts in the 1930s: he called them Usonian houses. But, the idea was just too advanced to appeal to the 1930’s American audience, plus the demand was lacking during the Depression.

Wright also worked on a concept planned community called Broadacre City.

I had the privilege of touring a Usonian house a few years ago (Chicago area) and was way ahead of its time, with an open plan, built-in furnishings and lots of window area.