Urbanization in the United States from the 19th Century Onwards - Essay Example

The planning is still on, and the American towns and cities continue to exhibit noteworthy and extensive growth. All American cities exhibit high degrees of marvelous design in the way they appear and how they function. Most of the present-day cities started by being centers for particular reasons. Some began as trade centers while others started as storage and manufacturing centers. Some cities also started as agriculture and market centers where produce from surrounding lands was kept. In the history of the US also, some cities began at the junctions of large transport routes such as large rivers, ocean ports, or large roads. Therefore, it can be shown that most of these cities were planned for. At the time, for example, the leaders of the people decided on the towns that were market centers or those that were administrative centers. This illustrates massive planning over time in the growth of cities.

At the start of the 19th century, most of the cities were planned in such a way that they provided protection in times of war. City walls were constructed in such a way that when there was war, the rural populace would hide behind the walls. This was a time when warfare was common in the land. Such walls required massive innovation and planning so that they would serve their purpose. However, as the 19th century has progressed, these have not been important in protection due to the advent of aerial weaponry.

As the 19th century progressed, there was a need to administer to the people. The leaders, therefore, came up with plans to make other towns administrative centers. This was done with a long-term vision as the populace was increasing by the times. There were immigrants also who have been coming into the USA. We, therefore, applaud the efforts of the people from the start of the 19th century. Washington, D.C presently displays the monumental structures that were created years back.

By around 1920, most cities in the USA were designed to be successful commerce centers. The religious, political and cultural aspects of most cities evolved through careful planning to form the present-day commercial hubs. This required the establishment of many transportation channels and the planning of many buildings and structures that are typical of commercial centers. This planning has been important due to the ever-increasing numbers of people rushing to live in most towns. The world is becoming a commercial hub. The bustling activities of the cities of the present day are a result of the planning. New York, Boston and Philadelphia were established around 1920 and are nowadays among the biggest cities in the world.

The industrial revolution can, therefore, be said to have contributed to the planning of many urban centers since the start of the 19th century. For example in 1840, the population of New York was below 315,000. Through continued planning and advancements in technology, the population stood at 4.7 million in 1910. Chicago increased from about 5000 to 2.2 million in the same time frame. All these have been attributed to industrial innovations and planning that characterized the industrial revolution.