Urbanization and its Effects

Starting approximately during the year of 1870, the Northeast and Midwest regions experienced an immense transformation. Occurring at a time often called the "Metropolitan Era," these transformations were due mainly to concentration on the philosophies of industrialization, modernization, and urbanization. Urbanization, which is the rapid growth of a city, began with the arrival of immigrants from all around the world to the United States. The rapid urbanization of cities in the Northeast and Midwest promoted success and opportunity, while also paving the way for beneficial change in urban politics, economic conditions, and citywide spatial transformation. Immigrants didn't arrive in the United States without a reason --they left the places that they called home, risked everything that they lived for, and strived to move on, all in the hope of achieving success.

"...immigrants sought to escape difficult conditions -- such as poverty, famine, land shortages, or religious or polit...