City-states

Examples of City-states in the following topics:

• Preindustrial Cities

  • While ancient cities may have arisen organically as trading centers, preindustrial cities evolved to become well defined political units, like today's states.
  • In Italy, medieval communes had a state-like power.
  • In exceptional cases like Venice, Genoa, or Lübeck, cities themselves became powerful states, sometimes taking surrounding areas under their control or establishing extensive maritime empires.
  • Not all cities grew to become major urban centers.
  • While the city-states, or poleis, of the Mediterranean and Baltic Sea languished from the 16th century, Europe's larger capitals benefited from the growth of commerce following the emergence of an Atlantic trade.

• The Powers of Local Government

  • A number of independent cities operate under a municipal government that serves the functions of both city and county.
  • In particular, towns in New England have considerably more power than most townships elsewhere and often function as independent cities in all but name, typically exercising the full range of powers that are divided between counties, townships and cities in other states.
  • In some states, a city can become independent of any separately functioning county government and function both as a county and as a city.
  • Depending on the state, such a city is known as either an independent city or a consolidated city-county.
  • NYC City Hall is home to the government of the largest city in the US, and the municipality with the largest budget.

• New State Spaces

  • States are not necessarily the same as nations.
  • But states are not necessary the same as nations, and state boundaries will not necessarily always be the same as national boundaries.
  • A global city is a city that is central to the global economic system, such as New York or London.
  • The most complex and central cities are known as global cities.
  • New state spaces are evolving at both the local level (global cities) and the international level (the European Union).

• Neighborhood

  • A neighborhood is a geographically localized community within a larger city, town, or suburb.
  • A neighborhood is a geographically localized community within a larger city, town, or suburb.
  • In this sense, they are local social units larger than households, but not directly under the control of city or state officials.
  • Ethnic enclaves were important in many past cities and remain common in cities today.
  • This image is of Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City.

• U.S. Urban Patterns

  • In spite of these competing definitions, in the United States "urban" is officially defined following guidelines set by the U.S.
  • As of December, 2010, about 82% of the population of the United States lived within the boundaries of urbanized area.
  • Combined, these areas occupy about 2% of the land area of the United States.
  • In the United States, the largest urban area is New York City, with over 8 million people within the city limits and over 19 million in the urban area.
  • The next five largest urban areas in the United States are Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Boston.

• Civilizing the City

  • After 1910, smaller cities began building high schools.
  • During the Progressive Era, many states began passing compulsory schooling laws.
  • At the state and national levels new food and drug laws strengthened local efforts to guarantee the safety of the food system.
  • Progressive mayors were important in many cities, especially in the western states.
  • In I llinois, Governor Frank Lowden undertook a major reorganization of state government.

• Industrial Cities

  • During the industrial era, cities grew rapidly and became centers of population growth and production.
  • During the industrial era, cities grew rapidly and became centers of population and production.
  • In 1800, only 3% of the world's population lived in cities.
  • The United States provides a good example of how this process unfolded; from 1860 to 1910, the invention of railroads reduced transportation costs and large manufacturing centers began to emerge in the United States, allowing migration from rural to urban areas.
  • The greatest killer in the cities was tuberculosis (TB).

• The Rise of the City

  • Roughly 40 percent of Americans lived in cities, and the number was climbing.
  • These large city populations caused crime rates to rise, and disease to spread rapidly.
  • Skyscrapers were being built in the cities and the idea of mass transit had begun to take root.
  • Suburbs were beginning to form as upper class families began to move out of the overcrowded cities.
  • The first 12 presidents of the United States had all been born into farming communities, but between 1865 and 1912, the presidency was filled by men with backgrounds representing businesses and cities.

• The Environmental Impact of Cities

  • The first twelve presidents of the United States had all been born into farming communities, but between 1865 and 1912 the Presidency was filled by men with backgrounds of representing businesses and cities.
  • Not only did urbanization cause cities to grow in population, it also caused cities to grow in building size.
  • For example, in the city of Chicago, you will find a lot of the nicer homes away from the city, and more towards the suburbs.
  • Control began to shift from local governments to the states and federal government.
  • The conservation movement also urged the establishment of state and national parks and forests, wildlife refuges, and national monuments intended to preserve noteworthy natural features.

• Shrinking Cities and Counter-Urbanization

  • In developed countries, people are able to move out of cities while maintaining many of the advantages of city life because improved communications and means of transportation.
  • White flight during the post-war period contributed to urban decay, a process whereby a city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude.
  • In the United States, suburbanization began in earnest after World War Two, when soldiers returned from war and received generous government support to finance new homes.
  • Thus, suburbs were built—smaller cities located on the edges of a larger city, which often include residential neighborhoods for those working in the area.
  • Baltimore, Maryland is an example of a shrinking American city.