|
Throughout
the nineteenth century and into the twentieth, citizens of the United
States
maintained a bias against big cities. Most lived on farms and in small
towns and
believed
cities to be centers of corruption, crime, poverty, and moral degradation.
Their
distrust
was caused, in part, by a national ideology that proclaimed farming the
greatest
(5)
occupation and rural living superior to urban living. This attitude
prevailed even as the
number
of urban dwellers increased and cities became an essential feature of the
national
landscape. Gradually, economic reality overcame ideology. Thousands
abandoned
the precarious life on the farm for more secure and better paying jobs in
the
city.
But when these people migrated from the countryside, they carried their
fears and
(10)
suspicious with them. These new urbanities, already convinced that cities
were
overwhelmed
with great problems, eagerly embraced the progressive reforms that
promised
to bring order out of the chaos of the city.
One
of many reforms came in the area of public utilities. Water and sewerage
systems
were usually operated by municipal governments, but the gas and electric
(15)
networks were privately owned. Reformers fared that the privately owned
utility
companies
would charge exorbitant rates for these essential services and deliver them
only
to people who could afford them. Some city and state governments responded
by
regulating
the utility companies, but a number of cities began to supply these
services
themselves.
Proponents of these reforms argued that public ownership and regulation
(20)
would insure widespread access to these utilities and guarantee a fair
price.
While
some reforms focused on government and public behavior, others looked at
the
cities as a whole. Civic leaders, convinced that physical environment
influenced
human
behavior, argued that cities should develop master plans to guide their
future
growth
and development. City planning was nothing new, but the rapid
industrialization
(25)
and urban growth of the late nineteenth century took place without any consideration
for
order. Urban renewal in the twentieth century followed several courses.
Some cities
introduced
plans to completely rebuild the city core. Most other cities contented
themselves
with zoning plans for regulating future growth. Certain parts of town were
restricted
to residential use, while others were set aside for industrial or
commercial
development.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
thank you for visiting my blog and for your nice comments