The U.S. City in Transition

The U.S. city has been subject to constant change. In the East and Midwest, most cities were founded as trading towns on waterways. They boomed during the industrialization era and reached their population peak in the mid-20th century, when a decline in importance began due to suburbanization and deindustrialization. Traces of decay were visible everywhere, and the forecasts for the future were conceivably poor. This trend seems to have been broken: Things are looking up again for the US city. Some of the former industrial cities have succeeded in undergoing a structural transformation. However, not all cities are benefiting from this positive development, and many continue to shrink at an alarming rate. At the same time, cities in the south and west of the country have developed into new growth centers. Regardless of location and level of development, similar processes such as neoliberalisation, deregulation, privatisation and gentrification can be observed in all cities.