Urbanization- Danella T.

Prior to industrialization, towns were limited by the proximity of residences to places of employment, worship, and commerce. The wealthiest residents lived in the center of town with poorer residents living further out from the town center. The urbanization of America began as urban centers expanded to support developing industries. The buildings and even the cities themselves were shaped by the technological revolution that created them. Advancements in civil engineering enabled increased population density, public utilities improved the quality of life, and infrastructures developed to meet the needs of growing cities.

Skyscrapers were one result of new construction techniques using Bessemer steel supports rather than stone, load bearing walls. The development of electric-motor driven elevators with safety features made these high-rises increasingly practical and common. Large tenement buildings were constructed to provide inexpensive housing to unskilled industrial workers. Even the shape of the cities was impacted by technology as electric streetcars enabled people to live further from their employment, creating middle-class suburbs on the outskirts of cities. Impoverished, unskilled workers were forced into the densest living conditions in the industrial centers of the cities.

Rapid growth in population would create unprecedented challenges for urban and strain infrastructures. Gas lighting was widely used in late 19th century cities and the development of electric lighting would utilize much of the existing gas infrastructure. Cities developed reservoirs with pressurized delivery systems that enabled municipal water systems to provide potable, running water. Sewer systems developed more slowly and were prone to problems from storm water and system failures. Urban growth would outpace cities’ abilities to provide for the safety and welfare of residents, prompting Reformers of the late 19th century to advocate for infrastructure improvements.

Resource: http://www.theusaonline.com/people/urbanization.htm