Suburbanization in Chicago and Philadelphia

Stilgoe, John R. Borderland: Origins of the American Suburb, 1820-1939. West Hanover, MA: Halliday Lithograph, 1988. 129-49. Print.

These 21 pages cover the development of the suburbs of Philadelphia and Chicago in the mid 1800s. Both of these cities' suburbs were developed as a result of the expansion of mass transportation to the surrounding land. In Philadelphia, it was horsecar service that brought people out to the suburbs, while in Chicago, it was the railroads. These new towns offered low cost living (similar prices to that in the city), with a greater amount of space, scenic vistas, and a convenient way of reaching the city. In addition, during this time, it became very profitable to invest in land in these new suburban areas as transportation started to reach out to them. For example, once the first horsecar line reached the edge of Jefferson Township outside of Chicago, land values skyrocketed.

These new suburbs made sense for two big reasons. One reason was that property values were extremely low. Houses with yards and working sewers in the suburbs could be bought for the same prices as an older, cramped apartment in the dirty city. This meant that working class families could move out to the outskirts of the city and live in a more upper-class environment. The fringes of town were no longer for the wealthy. The other reason that the suburbs were so successful was that there was a quick and convenient mode of transportation to reach the city. While low housing prices were important, this cannot be overlooked. If new houses were built, but no railroad or horsecars reached the suburbs, no one would buy them. In addition, if the transportation was either slow or infrequent, the houses still would not be purchased. The horsecars or railroads allowed commuters, these working class men who just purchased houses, to be able to travel with ease into and out of the city for an affordable price.

This process in Philadelphia and Chicago shows the beginnings of suburbanization, as a result of low cost housing and mass transit. More importantly, though, this demonstrates that this is not a new phenomenon. Sure, the idea was developed in the 19th Century, but still has an impact on our lives today.