The Urban Transformation

1
The Urban Transformation

• Transformation from a nomadic life to living in
  settled, densely populated areas

2

• 75 of human existence
• Hunting and gathering societies
• Nomadic
• All hands required for sustenance
• No regularly settled locations

3
Neolithic Revolution

• About 10,000 years ago
• Agriculture and domesticated animals
• More sophisticated social organization

4
First True Cities

• 6,000 to 5,000 BC
• Fertile river basins
• Euphrates, Nile

5
Greek and Roman Cities

• Roman engineers developed sophisticated
  transportation, water, and sanitation systems

6
Feudal Cities

• Technology declined
• Less abundant food supply

7
Industrial Revolution

• Dickensian places
• Pollution
• Sanitation nightmare
• Alienation and crime

8
Modern Cities

• Public health advances
• Led to rapid urbanization

9
Worlds Largest Megacities(2000)

• Tokyo 33 Million
• New York 20
• Seoul 20
• Mexico City 19
• Sao Paulo 18
• Bombay 18
• Osaka 16

10
Urbanization

• Level of population concentration whereby people
  live in high densities

11
Your Town Size (percent of class)
12
Urbanism

• The way of life of city dwellers
• Values and beliefs regarding optimum way to live

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Urbanism in U.S.

• Urbanism as a Way of Life (L. Wirth 1938)
• City undermines traditional basis for society
• Fosters blasé outlook, indifference to others and
  public good

14
City Life

• in this perspective
• leads to
• Mental illness
• Suicide
• Crime
• All sorts of perversions

15
Other Views

• Aronson, City, Illusion, Nostalgia, and Reality
• Necessary for
• civilization

16

• P. Hausers research in Rangoon, Bangkok,
  Djakarta, Calcutta
• No increased indifference, no pronounced
  loneliness
• No breakdown
• in caste barriers

17

• M. Sussmans research
• 45 of middle class

18

• Worldwide
• There is a relationship between relative
  deprivation and crime/deviance

19
City Life is Suburban Life

• Suburbs
• Incorporated or unincorporated spatial
  communities that lie outside the central city but
  within the metropolitan area
• 1960 60 million people
• 1970 74 million
• 2000 143 million

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Reasons for Suburbanization

• Anti-urban bias
• Government support for suburban housing VA and
  FHA loans
• Industry movement to suburbs

21
Consequences

• Homogeneity of residential areas
• Especially regarding income and family stage
• Isolation of homeowners
• Decline of social capital (Putnam)

22
Exurbanization

• Newer second ring beyond old suburbs
• Residents affluent, well educated