City

I

Introduction

City, large center of population organized as a community. The word city is derived from the Latin word civitas, which denotes a community that administers its own affairs. In ancient Greece such an independent community was called a city-state; it consisted of a chief town and its immediate neighborhood. The cantons which constitute the Swiss federation are not unlike cities in this sense. During the Middle Ages a city was usually identical with a cathedral town; accordingly, when King Henry VIII of England established new bishoprics in boroughs, he made these into cities. In modern Britain city is merely a complimentary title conferred by the monarch on important towns.

In the United States a city is a chartered municipal corporation. Charters are granted by state governments according to requirements prescribed by the legislature of that state; a city must usually attain a certain population before it can be granted a charter. City charters vary in the degree of power they confer on the municipal authorities, and the measure of local autonomy is usually, although not always, regulated by the number of inhabitants. The chief executive officer is generally a popularly elected mayor, but many cities now have professional city managers.

II

Historical Development

Cities began to evolve in prehistoric times when groups of nomadic hunters and foragers developed a settled agricultural life. In order to protect themselves and their food supplies from raids by predatory nomads, they built their dwellings within a walled area or in a naturally fortified place, such as the acropolis of ancient Greek cities. Because the availability of water was also an important consideration, these settlements were usually located along a river. Such settlements led to specialization and the division of labor. Markets developed in which artisans could exchange their specialities for other types of goods. A growing priesthood contributed to intellectual life. Thus, cities were responsible not only for the rise of commerce and industry but also of art and learning, and they played an essential role in the emergence of all great civilizations. Among the most notable cities of the ancient world were, in the order of their development, Thebes, Memphis, Babylon, Nineveh, Sūsa, Tyre, Carthage, and Jerusalem. Alexandria is said to have contained more than 500,000 inhabitants, and Rome was still larger. As capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople (present-day İstanbul) succeeded Rome as the principal city in Europe. In the Islamic East, during part of the Middle Ages, Baghdād, Damascus, and Cairo led in population; Cordoba was the greatest city of the Islamic West and, for a time, of all Europe.

The development of cities in Europe was a feature of the breakup of feudalism. At the beginning of the 16th century Europe had 6 or 7 cities of 100,000 or more inhabitants; at the end of the century it had 13 or 14 such cities. During the 17th century, although the population of Europe remained stationary, that of the cities increased.

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III

Modern Cities

A notable trend of the 19th and 20th centuries has been the constant growth of urban communities at the expense of rural districts. City populations represent an increasing proportion of the total national populations not only in highly industrialized nations but also in agrarian countries. The principal causes of this urban growth have been the development of the factory system, improvements in transportation, and the mechanization of agriculture, which reduced the need for farm labor. Many modern cities have been planned as industrial centers near sources of raw materials. More than 350 such cities were built in the USSR.

One of the characteristics of modern urban growth is the development of suburbs adjacent to and economically dependent on the central city. Much of the increase in population of modern cities is accommodated in these suburban extensions. In the older portions of the city the population is displaced by business and industrial expansion; rapid-transit facilities make it feasible for persons employed within the city to take up residence in outlying districts.

After World War II cities everywhere continued to expand far beyond their political boundaries. This has given rise to vast new governmental and quasi-governmental agencies to deal with the problems of metropolitan areas. Representatives of city governments, as well as of private interests, frequently participate in such bodies. Typical of interurban agencies are the Chicago Sanitary District and those concerned with the problems of the London region.

In 1910 the U.S. had 31 cities with populations of 100,000 to 250,000, and 19 with 250,000 or more. In 1990 cities with populations of 100,000 to 250,000 numbered 131, and cities with 250,000 or more numbered 63. In 1890, 15.4 percent of the population lived in cities of 100,000 or more. In 1990 just over one-fourth of the population did so, and three-fourths of the total U.S. population lived in cities and towns of 2500 or more.

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