Briefly discuss the historical evolution of the city in the United States, using the figure below as a guide, discuss the city has changed over time as transportation technology has evolved. Please use examples from your own city as a reference.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The original core of the city (pre -Civil War foot or horse-and-carriage. The city began to expand in a radial pattern after the Civil War with the advent of the streetcar which allowed residents to live farther away from the urban core but limited them to areas accessible to the streetcar lines. The next phase of growth began with the advent of the automobile after WWI. Widespread use of the auto after WWII allowed the areas between streetcar lines to be filled in with suburban growth. It was during this time period that residents of the inner-city began to flee for the suburbs, leaving behind poor, minority and economically marginalized residents. The expansion continued in the late 20th and early 21st century with the formation of ring roads connecting distant suburbs and giving to rise to "edge cities" which are best defined as suburban nodes of office complexes, entertainment districts and shopping plazas which allow suburbanites to bypass the urban core. Student should insert examples of his/her own urban area as a reference.