Development and Towns and Cities - Essay Example

In cases where the growth factor ceases, there is likelihood of the city gradually dying because of lack of activity. This may explain the reason why some known cities in history such as the walled market towns of the 9th century in north UK died. These were replaced by the medieval towns that were motivated by the agricultural productivity during their time and need for produce storage and marketing such as the Newton city, Newport and Newmarket. As we consider the growth and development of cities from the ancient through the medieval to the present age and project the growth into the future, it is important to note that a city, like a liviing thing is born, can grow, can be sustained and has potential to die.

What may be important in this case is to note that the growth of towns and cities is a transformational process based on differnent influences. Past influences over the growth of towns and cities Growth of towns and cities traced to the 1st century BC was a culmination of multiple factors but most pronounced was the economic factor. Most of the towns in the UK grew as trade hubs to facilitate trade of goods. Most of the growth is traced to the medieval age when there was a boom in agricultural production where most lords and barons wanted channels to distribute or market their produce.

This saw the development of walled cities like Oxford and Hereford which were basically trade cities. Because of the need to move the products, most of these cities grew along major trade routes where transportation was easiest. Therefore transport network in the UK became an important factor that influenced growth and development of towns and cities. These developed as hubs and interconnections where commodities would be collected in readiness for transportion to the market. For this reason most of the ancient cities were harbor cities because of the formidable water transport system by then using steamships and rafts.

Because of human sociology as a result of economic growth, social needs of residents and internal migrants promoted development of other cities in the UK. These included “cathedral cities” like in Wales (where magnificence of churches is evident), administrative cities like Canterbury, Silchester, Wroxeter, and Winchester which were used as Roman capitals while others like Caerleon, Gloucester and Chester were fortresses and defence cities. Although the administrative factor became important later, yet it was routed in the need to watch over the economics.

It is therefore imperative to say that the two most important factors that influenced growth of towns and cities in teh UK are need to control markets and the issues of human sociology that demanded social structures and formal city and town formation (Smith, 2006 p 5). Present day influences on growth These can be traced back to the industrial revolution time in the 18th century where growth was mainly transformed by the textile industry which is said to lead to the growth of Dublin (British second largest city after London) (Fraser, 1980 p 465).

Growth of towns and cities in this time was fuelled by the need to source raw materials, manufature goods and distributing them to the market as was seen in Birmingham and Manchester which doubled up as admistrative towns as well. Because of the increased wealth the present day growth shifted its focus slightly from economics to social factors. This led to growth of towns for recreation such as the Brighton