The Automobile

The past few classes have been centered on the decentralization of the cities and the migration to the suburbs. There was also the development of a new type of city, the MMR or multi-centered metro region. This means that the city no longer has one central business district but instead has multiple centers and central areas. The development of the MMR would not be possible if it had not been for the automobile. The automobile is a major cause of the decentralization because it made commuting possible. People were now able to commute to and from work in the cities and they no longer had to live there. This made it possible for the upper classes to move out of the cities and form new communities in the outer areas of the city. For example when the automobile was invented it made it possible for the people who lived in New York City to move out to Long Island or up to West Chester, even as far as the Poconos and still make their living in the city.

When the NDSH Act of 1956 was passed it created millions of highways and parkways so that the automobile could actually get people around. This was also a big cause of the decentralization of the cities. Highways were going all over the place and made commuting even easier which just increased the MMR. Today automobiles are still a major part of life, I live on Long Island and see hundreds of people commuting to the city on a daily basis.