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Urban Society - Urban geography

4 important questions on Urban Society - Urban geography

Where was urban growth largely concentrated?

Urban growth was largely concentrated in major cities rather than smaller towns.
Italy contained most of these - Venice, Milan, Genoa, Florence, Rome, Naples and Palermo - while other countries had only one, such as London, Paris and Lisbon.
In Spain only Seville and Granada competed for this status, and Istanbul was the sole contender to the east.

What is the general consensus to determine where a large village ends and a small town begins?

There is now general consensus that a more secure measure to determine where a large village ended and a small town began is economic status.
To be categorized as a town, a community must have contained a diversity of trades and manufacture, meaning that the majority of the population was not producing for its own subsistence as agricultural workers.

What attracted people to urban life?

As the early modern period proceeded, urban life drew the traditional rural nobility into towns, attracted by the new theatres and salons in the major cities, in addition to the more obvious pull of the court in princely residences.

What role did towns have in the local economy?

Towns had an established role in the local economy because of their essential function as a market where peasants could sell their surplus or exchange goods.
Nevertheless, there were evident areas of tension, too, especially over grain supply, taxation and the exploitation of the countryside by the town.

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

Early Modern History

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