Article Questions
Transportation and Urban Growth
Answer the following questions to the best of your ability. Do not make your responses too lengthy; rather, consolidate your responses and get to the point. Work on the skills of summarizing the information, and focusing on the main idea. Note: this article represents opinions published by an individual author. Read to gain knowledge and understanding, however, keep an open mind and think for yourself.
1) Describe the FOUR stages in urban
growth as proposed by the author.
2) Discuss what impact the introduction of the railroad had on American cities after
1830. How did "horsecar suburbs" compare with the living conditions of the
less affluent majority of the urban population?
3) Discuss the impact the electrified trolley had on urban America after 1888.
How did this lead to residential (affinity) segregation and ethnic neighborhoods? (if you
don't know those terms - look them up)
4) Explain the effect automobiles had on urban America. How did the acceptance
of the automobile - coupled with highway infrastructure - lead to the massive suburbanization that dominates the US
cultural landscape?
5) This article was written in 1986, discuss ONE change that has occurred since then that has affected urbanization in the US.