Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop

Real estate development

Real estate development, or Property Development, is a multifaceted business, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of improved land or parcels to others...

, usually via a plat

Plat

A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....

. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 as a subdivision. If it is used for housing

House

A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...

 it is typically known as a housing subdivision or housing development, although some developers tend to call these areas communities

Community

The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...

.

Subdivisions may also be for the purpose of commercial or industrial development, and the results vary from retail shopping mall

Shopping mall

A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...

s with independently owned out parcels, to industrial park

Industrial park

An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...

s.
In the United States, the creation of a subdivision was often the first step toward the creation of a new incorporated township

Township (United States)

A township in the United States is a small geographic area. Townships range in size from 6 to 54 square miles , with being the norm.The term is used in three ways....

 or city

City

A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

.