serial housing, also called serial housing, and serial neighborhoods, are a type of housing development in which a group of the same or similar houses is built on an extension or area that is subdivided into small individual lots. Many housing developments in suburban areas have been modeled on the Levittown concept "Levittown (New York)", sometimes encompassing large areas of dozens of square miles.[1][2]​.

Housing in urban areas evolved in the 1940s, when demand for cheap housing skyrocketed. Economies of scale meant that large numbers of identical homes could be built more quickly and cheaply to meet growing demand. Developers would purchase a dozen or more adjacent lots and construct the homes as an assembly line process.[3]​.

Commercial zone housing development uses few architectural designs, and labor costs are reduced because workers need to learn the skills and moves of building only those designs rather than repeating the learning curve. Additionally, because all homes in the development are built at the same time, the cost of purchasing and transporting construction supplies can be reduced due to economies of scale. Components such as roof trusses, plumbing, and stair systems are often prefabricated in factories and installed on site. This allows builders to offer lower prices, which in turn can make homes affordable for a larger percentage of the population. Early tract homes were often identical, but many tracts since the turn of the century have various designs and other variations in footprint, roof shape and materials, along with options such as garage spaces, for a more diverse appearance.[3]​.

The concept of house planning is occasionally referred to derisively in North American popular culture as the basis of suburbia; Notable examples are the songs "Little Boxes" by Malvina Reynolds, "Suburbia (song)" by Pet Shop Boys, and "Subdivisions" by Rush. It is also often criticized by city planners and architects, as its construction tends to overlook elements necessary for successful community building, and instead creates a homogeneous residential neighborhood with no jobs, commerce, services, or local attractions within a close distance. This leads to a heavy reliance on car travel, as residents are unable to address any of these needs locally.[4]​.