Chapter 4: Urban Systems in Transition

The changes that have occurred to the U.S. and European urban systems as a result of the transition to an advanced form of capitalism that is increasingly global in its scope.

For the United States, 3 epochs are identified:

1. spanning (1945-1972), corresponded with a period of postwar economic recovery and growth
2. between (1972-1983) was a brief but important period that corresponded with a phase of economic crisis and reorganization
3. since 1983, the U.S. urban system has been experiencing yet another phase of change, dominated this time by the effects of high-tech economic development and new telecommunications technologies

The reorganization of U.S. business following World War 2 that led to the regional decentralization of the economy also made for certain amount of metropolitan consolidation that promoted the growth of regional business centers like Houston.



The pattern of Control Centers- cities with a high proportion of corporate headquarters- changed to reflect the growth of cities like Atlanta, Houston, New York, and Detroit.

• How did the economic crisis between 1972 and 1983 affect the US urban system?

By the late 1970s productivity had fallen to less than 1 percent annual growth. At the end of the 1970s the average U.S. family only had 7 percent more real purchasing power than it had had a decade before. Between 1970 and 1983 the average weekly wages of U.S. workers fell, in real terms, from $375 to $365.

Most Americans even in the year 2007 are living pay check to pay check. I think that so ridiculous because we are the richest country and we have some much poor people around.