The Evolution Of American Urban Society

In over three centuries of growth and change, American cities have exerted forces that have been both centrifugal--pulling people, resources, and interest toward them--and centripetal--sending out goods, services, and ideas. The story of how these forces evolved over time encompasses almost every aspect of American history. Always cognizant of change over time, this book explores the ways that urban development influenced people's lives and on the ways people shaped the urban environment.

A city is simultaneously a social, economic, and political entity, and Howard P. Chudacoff and Judith E. Smith have taken care to examine each of these dimensions of urban life. Their focus is on urban society: its institutions, its activities, and, especially, its people. The authors address questions such as:

• Why do people go to the city?
• What do they find there?
• How do they cope?
• What do they contribute?
• How are they rewarded?

In this, the Sixth Edition, Chudacoff and Smith pay particular attention to issues of race, ethnicity, gender, the built environment, regional differentials, and emerging cultural forms such as rock and rap music. New material has been added on the environmental impact of cities and suburbs and on the new racial and ethnic mix produced by the most recent immigration trends. In addition, the final chapter has been expanded to take into account issues relating to the presidential administration of George W. Bush and to the consequences of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

This interesting and informative book shows how different groups of urban residents with different social, economic, and political power cope with the urban environment, struggle to make a living, participate in communal institutions, and influence the direction of cities and urban life. An absorbing book, "The Evolution of American Urban Society" surveys the dynamics of American urbanization from the sixteenth century to the present, skillfully blending historical perspectives on society, economics, politics, and policy, and focusing on the ways in which diverse peoples have inhabited and interacted in cities. Broad coverage includes: the Colonial Age, commercialization and urban expansion, life in the " walking city", industrialization, newcomers, city politics, the social and physical environment, the 1920s and 1930s, the growth of suburbanization, and the future of modern cities. An interesting and necessary read for anyone involved in urban sociology, including urban planners, city managers, and those in the urban political arena.