Rise Of Urbanization In The United States

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Prior to the rise of capitalism and the industrial model of city development, urbanization in ancient cities developed in several different ways that it did in the United States. Three of the main differences were the actual physical development of the city land, the development of capitalism, and the rise of technology. The actual planning and development of ancient cities was centered around sacred or religious meanings and these were usually fortified by walls or fences. "The earliest cities in Mesopotamia and in China were built according to complex belief systems and symbolic codes, as shown my city gates devoted to specific deities."(Gottdiener,2011,p.30) In contrast, one of the physical differences with the development of the cities …show more content…

revolve around technology. The U.S. was able to move away from the traditional way of life through transportation lines, skyscrapers, and manufacturing (gottdinier, 2011) wrote that "In the period of 1830 and 1920, the most significant technological innovation was the joint development of the steel rail and steam locomotive that perfected the haul for commerce, resources, and people." Through these technological advances, the factory was as a part of the capitalist system and provided a way for people to become employed, gain money, and relocate to the city centers where they would live. Thus, creating an entire new way of life and development among people and society. As population to these areas began to increase the outward development of real estate and transportation routes made it easier for people to commute and create the areas of suburbanization that we see today. The combination of these three forces have really differentiated the development of urban areas in the United States to that of ancient cities of the …show more content…

Apart from the real estate and the government, private businesses can influence the development of urban areas. Manufacturing in this country has been a prime example of this. Before the manufacturing industry was a major contributor to the expansion of the city and into the suburbs. As costs of manufacturing became increasingly important, many leading manufacturers relocated their plants to more inexpensive areas such as Mexico. (gottdineir, 2011, p.79) The auto industry in areas like Detroit are a prime example of what the effects of the uneven allocation of capital can be. The uneven development in these areas are then characterized by high levels of poverty and crime making them unappealing to real estate or private investment rather than attracting it, causing a devastating trend hard to

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