Suburbia: Then and Now by

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House Design

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The original Levittown communities implemented new innovations in house design. Real estate entrepreneurs of the mid 20th century constructed houses that shared similar layouts, but maintained diversity through color schemes and minor architectural designs. This innovation is present in modern Santa Clarita homes. These two houses share the exact same layout, but their minor differences create a sense of individuality. Each house possesses a unique color scheme and contrasting designs of windows and doors. The principle of common layouts with slight variations in Santa Clarita is a result of the developments of 1950's suburbia.

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Neighborhood Developments

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Suburban developments of the mid 20th century also included shifts in the layouts of neighborhoods. New trends such as curved streets and themed street names became popular. These styles are present in Stevenson Ranch. Each street is named after a famous author including Edgar Allen Poe, Ernest Hemingway, and William Shakespeare. In addition, nearly all streets are curved in order to promote diversity in layout and discourage reckless driving in urban areas. Nearly all of the urban advancements in Santa Clarita resemble the suburban evolution of Levittown.

Public Entertainment

collinmc357 — 2014-03-25 03:49:00 UTC

Levittown districts promised to maximize public entertainment for the well being of its inhabitants. Designers included open spaces for public recreational activities. Santa Clarita also offers space for many of these activities. The public baseball field at Richard Rioux Park allows citizens to enjoy a friendly neighborhood gathering at no cost. The public pool in the Woodlands neighborhood permits residents to indulge themselves in a beautiful olympic sized pool. These public recreational spaces are results of original Levittown concepts.

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Public Conveniences

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The dense concentration of people in a newly urban area required public access to necessary resources. In order to meet this immense demand, Levittown constructors included local hospitals and shopping centers in the town layout. Santa Clarita also compensated for the demand. Henry Mayo Newhall hospital offers emergency services as well as outpatient care for Santa Clarita residents. In addition, the Valencia Marketplace is home to over thirty stores that provide commodities to citizens of the surrounding area. The principle of including access to consumer necessities originated with the expansion of suburban lifestyle in the 1950's.

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Schools

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The creation of local educational opportunities attracted families to suburban communities. Entrepreneurs viewed previously barren and uninhabited land as potential sites to construct schools. For example, the prestigious and modern West Ranch High School sits on a plot of land that used to be a large field of grazing cattle. The establishment of schools in the area including Stevenson Ranch Elementary reflect the transformation of a rural area into a suburban utopia. Schools also offered opportunities for children to receive adept educations and surpass the economic status of their parents. The opportunistic principles of the American Dream proposed by the development of schools helped to generate the migration of families to suburban neighborhoods.

Public Well-Being

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While designing the ultimate suburban neighborhood, the Levitts considered the importance of providing public services on behalf of federal and local agencies. They included churches as well as all of the necessary government resources. In Santa Clarita, City Hall located on Valencia Blvd. offers all legal services for its citizens. In addition, the Mormon church on McBean Parkway is one of the oldest developments in Santa Clarita and has provided religious services for over seventy years. These developments are necessary to maintain a thriving community and encourage diversity as Santa Clarita has accomplished due to its close ancestry with the original Levittown communities.

collinmc357 — 2014-03-25 03:57:23 UTC