William Levitt was an American real estate developer best known for his role in creating mass-produced suburban housing after World War II. He is often referred to as the "father of modern suburbia" due to his innovative building techniques and the establishment of Levittown, the first large-scale suburban community in the United States. Levitt's approach to home construction involved assembly-line methods, which significantly reduced costs and time. This allowed many returning veterans and their families to afford homes, contributing to the post-war housing boom and shaping the American dream of homeownership in the mid-20th century.