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City Growth and Loss of Community
The growth of cities in the US brought about its advantages and disadvantages in equal
measure. Among these is the loss of community and the deterioration of societal values. The
discussion on what outweighed the other between advantages and disadvantages can only be
validated by looking into the specific aspects of urbanization. Various historical scholars have
delved into the subject and drawn insightful observations and conclusions. It is from their
varying perspectives that this paper seeks to explain how the community was affected by the
growth of cities. This paper opines that the values of the American community were lost in the
wake of urbanization.
Mumford (3) breaks down the growth of cities into three major stages namely:
provincial, commercial and industrial eras. These periods are not completely distinct from one
another but offer an image that illustrates transition of traditional America into urbanization. The
main reason why people moved into cities is that they believed that they offered real
opportunities for growth such as in employment (Still 196-197). However, the movement of
people into cities posed unforeseen challenges such as insecurity, sewage disposal, lack of social
stability, wars and struggles, unequal distribution of wealth and the spirit of self-gain (Mumford
4; Schlesinger 41). In contrast with country life, city life weakened the bonds of kinship,
