Question 1

Defined broadly as that area outside the central city but within the boundaries of the metropolitan statistical area, suburbs now hold __________ million of the nation's 281 million people.

Accepted Answer

Suburbs have experienced significant growth, and as of the data point, they house 157.4 million of the nation's 281 million people, reflecting the trend of suburban expansion and the preference for living outside central urban areas within the metropolitan statistical areas.

Question 2

During the 1950s, which of the following is/are among the observations of students of the city about the suburbs?

Accepted Answer

Students observed that as the middle and upper classes moved to the suburbs, the city would be deprived of its traditional leadership. They saw this as a potential problem for the city's future development and growth.

Question 3

During the decade ending in 1900, the United States population was growing at a rate of __________ persons per year.

Accepted Answer

During the decade ending in 1900, the United States experienced significant population growth due to both natural increase and immigration, with the annual growth rate reaching approximately 1.3 million persons per year.

Question 4

In the decades between World War I and World War II, the __________ became the dominant form of intraurban transportation in the United States.

Accepted Answer

During the decades between World War I and World War II, the automobile became the dominant form of intraurban transportation in the United States, revolutionizing personal mobility and shaping urban development.

Question 5

The text observes that the central areas of many older, industrial cities were undesirable in several respects. Which of the following is NOT one of these?

Accepted Answer

The text does not mention that real estate was generally too expensive as one of the reasons why central areas of many older, industrial cities were undesirable.

Question 6

According to Joe Garreau, a(n) __________ is a major concentration of retailing, employment, entertainment, and other activities formerly found only in the central business district.

Accepted Answer

An edge city, according to Joe Garreau, is a major concentration of retailing, employment, entertainment, and other activities formerly found only in the central business district. Suburb, boomburb, and inner-city do not fully describe the concept of an edge city.

Question 7

A(n) __________ is composed of a central city with at least 50,000 or more people and with one or more counties that are politically, socially, and economically dependent on the central city.

Accepted Answer

A metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region that includes a central city with at least 50,000 or more people and surrounding counties that are economically and socially dependent on the central city. MSAs are defined by the Office of Management and Budget for statistical purposes such as collecting demographic and economic data.

Question 8

In 2000, __________ percent of Americans lived in metropolitan areas.

Accepted Answer

In 2000, approximately 80.3 percent of Americans lived in metropolitan areas, reflecting the trend of urbanization in the United States.

Question 9

In 2001, Robert Lang and Patrick Simmons introduced the term __________ to describe a new type of large, rapidly growing suburban city that emerged in the latter part of the twentieth century - places with more than 100,000 residents that are not the largest city in their metropolitan areas.

Accepted Answer

Robert Lang and Patrick Simmons introduced the term "boomburb" to describe a new type of large, rapidly growing suburban city that emerged in the latter part of the twentieth century - places with more than 100,000 residents that are not the largest city in their metropolitan areas. Choice A, "edge city," refers to a concentration of office and retail parks outside of traditional urban centers. Choice C, "metropolitan statistical area," is a term used by the U.S. Census Bureau to define an urbanized area and adjacent counties that are economically and socially integrated. Choice D, "metrocomplex," is not a recognized term in urban studies.

Question 10

The text points out that Fordism disappeared in the 1970s and a new set of economic arrangements called post-Fordism or __________ production took its place.

Accepted Answer

Post-Fordism is often described as a flexible production system that allows for customization and diversity in the production process, unlike the standardized assembly-line approach of Fordism. Therefore, the best choice is C) flexible.

Question 11

Today, __________ out of ten Americans can expect to live to retirement age, and as a result people over 65 are the fastest-growing segment of our population.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Today, __________ out of ten Americans can...

Question 12

Nationally, __________ percent of whites now live in suburbs.

Accepted Answer

According to the article, "nearly 71 percent of whites now live in suburbs."

Question 13

If we limit the analysis to metropolitan areas of over a million residents, almost half of the minorities lived in the suburbs in 2000, compared to just over 40 percent a decade ago. This surge in minority representation in suburbs has been concentrated in just 35 metropolitan areas that William Frey describes as

Accepted Answer

William Frey describes the metropolitan areas with a surge in minority representation in suburbs as "melting-pot metros." This term reflects the diverse demographic composition of these areas.

Question 14

Across America's cities, African Americans are pulling out of central cities and moving to the suburbs. Some observers have referred to this trend as "black

Accepted Answer

The term "black flight" has been used to describe the trend of African Americans moving out of central cities and into the suburbs. This movement is often in search of better schools, safer neighborhoods, and more affordable housing.

Question 15

M.P. Baumgartner's analysis of middle-class suburbs revealed that residents had shallow, single-stranded relationships with others and, as a result, they used avoidance as their major strategy for dealing with the petty day-to-day problems of life. Baumgartner referred to this phenomenon as

Accepted Answer

Baumgartner's analysis of middle-class suburbs revealed that residents had shallow, single-stranded relationships with others and, as a result, they used avoidance as their major strategy for dealing with the petty day-to-day problems of life. Baumgartner referred to this phenomenon as moral minimalism.

Question 16

With the exception of a few years in the 1970s, cities have grown faster than rural areas since 1820.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true according to demographic data and trends. Urbanization has been a steady and consistent trend for the past two centuries.

Question 17

In the 1920s, central cities grew faster than the suburbs in 70 percent of all United States metropolitan districts.

Accepted Answer

In the 1920s, the trend was the opposite; suburbs began to grow faster than central cities in many United States metropolitan areas, as transportation improvements made suburban living more feasible and desirable.

Question 18

In terms of sheer numbers, the post-World War II period was the decade of the greatest suburban expansion in Unites States history.

Accepted Answer

The post-World War II period from 1945 to 1955 saw the greatest suburban expansion in United States history, with millions of Americans leaving cities for newly built homes in the suburbs.

Question 19

In the 1970s and 1980s, downtowns in most metropolitan areas became ghost towns at night.

Accepted Answer

Due to suburbanization and the rise of shopping malls, downtowns in many metropolitan areas experienced a decline in visitors and activity in the evenings and weekends during the 1970s and 1980s. This led to the term "urban blight" being used to describe the abandoned and run-down buildings in these areas.

Question 20

Most of the rapidly growing metropolitan areas east of the Mississippi, such as Atlanta, have what Robert Lang and Patrick Simmons refer to as "boomburbs."

Accepted Answer

"Boomburbs" typically refer to rapidly growing suburban cities that are not the core city of a metropolitan area, often found in the western United States rather than the eastern part.

Quiz 10: The Suburbanization Process