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Urban Society - Urban fortunes

4 important questions on Urban Society - Urban fortunes

What shift did Europe make in terms of trade?

With the opening up of trade routes with Africa, Asia and the newly discovered Americas, Europe experienced a shift of emphasis and prosperity away from the Mediterranean towards the Atlantic.

What affected urban fortunes?

While some towns were in a good position in the Atlantic to profit from the shift, others experienced decline. Other factors that affected urban fortunes were the growth of administrative centres and the impact of war.

How does urbanization relate to economic development?

Contrary to the common perception, urbanization can be seen as a poor indicator of economic development, if we compare Castile and England for instance, suggesting that political protection rather than market pressure was the decisive factor in the growth (and decline) of many an early modern town.

What were hindrances from urban growth?

The continuing significance of certain hindrances to urban growth prevented towns from realizing their full potential: poor infrastructure, especially slow and cumbersome transport of goods by water or road, plus high transaction and customs costs in between (and especially within) countries, among other factors.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

Early Modern History

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