Ning Posting 3:

UrbanizationDevin Koppel – History 141 – Fall 2011

City Growth: The Sky is the Limit In the spring of 1929, Walter Chrysler led the “race into the sky” with a plan and instructions for construction of the tallest sky scraper in the world – The Chrystler BuildingWhen construction began on September 19, 1928, there also began an intense competition in New York City to build the world's tallest skyscraperFor a short period of time, the building triumphed as the tallest building in the world, unfortunately the completion of the building collided with the stock market crash of 1929The construction of the Empire State Building stood as a symbol of hope in the darkest of timesThe building was an incredible display of engineering and workmanship in the midst of the depression in the winter of 1930It provided employment and renewed ambition Taller than the Chrysler building, t stood as the world's tallest building for 40 years, from its completion in 1931

Traditional vs. ModernIn the early development of the urban American cities, there was initially a struggle between the “city beautiful” and the “city profitable”

City planners pushed for American cities to be built in the image of the beautiful European capitals, and the struggle is a classic example of the clash between old and new world

Civic beautifiers did not win the battle, because the reality of the new age American cities shows a push towards skyscrapers, highways, and streets

Although they did not win, these early twentieth century reformers left behind traces of beauty that to this day inspire people to rise above the hectic pace of modern life “There is no mistaking London for Los Angeles”

DowntownAmerican cities were pioneers in the creation of commercial districts, separating business and housingCreated the concept of a “downtown” where people could work, shop, and enjoy activities and nightlifeResidential areas were formed around the outskirts of the city, and the housing within the cities eventually became apartments to accommodate a growing populationUrban areas and rural areas combined in some cases, creating the suburbs we have todayChicago was the fasting growing city of its time, and this is where the skyscraper was developedThe development of elevators and skyscrapers changed the cities and created the towering skylines of today's major citiesThe need for stronger structures led to the creation of steel-framed buildings – the first of which was built in 1892, the Masonic Temple Building stood 22 stories tall