Urbanisation in the United States 1970-1990

Scientific Essay from the year 2012 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 7, , course: United States Studies Program, language: English, abstract: After the end of the Second World War, the United States took a giant step towards social and economic upliftment of all its citizens with special emphasis given on social welfare programs especially for minorities. The victory in the great war motivated the US to amend historical wrongdoings against particular sections of its own citizens, who were deprived of their legitimate rights and privileges based on their skin color and ethnicity, through effective policy interventions. There came many path-breaking legal Acts such as Civil Rights Act, Housing Act, G.I. Bill, etc. which were intended to put every citizen of the country on equal footing, thereby strengthening the American Creed. These initiatives coincided with the period of baby-boom and mass urbanisation in many parts of the US. The period also saw America becoming wealthier and more powerful than before. However, racism against the African-Americans and other minorities and the resultant race riots continued to thrive on along with all these developments in the decades following the war. A new urban revival was beginning to take shape by 1970s which was different from the previous urbanisation process in the US. Unlike the previous, the 1970s urbanisation had the characteristics of counter-urbanisation, massive shift in demography, environmental movements, etc.

The paper is a modest attempt to highlight and analyze the following sub-headings:

I.) the economic and social crises confronting America in 1970s and 1980s.

II.) the urban growth pattern (counter-urbanisation) and changing demography across the State

during the period particularly in the developed and industrialised regions of Northeast & Midwest

United States and Sunbelt regions of Southern and South-West United States.

III.) theoretical explanations for the new urban revival (1970-90).

IV.) socio-economic and environmental costs of urbanisation.