Section 3
Urbanization and the Development of Cities
By Boundless
Early cities arose in a number of regions, and are thought to have developed for reasons of agricultural productivity and economic scale.
Preindustrial cities had important political and economic functions and evolved to become well-defined political units.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/1314/square/slum-in-glasgow-2c-1871.jpeg)
During the industrial era, cities grew rapidly and became centers of population growth and production.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/8487/square/-central-business-district.jpeg)
Urban structure is the arrangement of land use, explained using different models.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/8489/square/rld-population-urban-rural.jpg)
Urbanization is the process of a population shift from rural areas to cities, often motivated by economic factors.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/8491/raw/erican-urban-areas-by-size.jpg)
The U.S. Census Bureau classifies areas as urban or rural based on population size and density.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/8493/square/800px-southlake-suburb.jpeg)
During the 1970s and again in the 1990s, the rural population rebounded in what appeared to be a reversal of urbanization.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/8495/square/detroit14.jpeg)
Models of urban growth try to balance the advantages and disadvantages of cities' large sizes.