The long-lot system reflected the importance of river access, the rectangular survey reflected the desire for order, rationality, and ease of settlement, and the agricultural village and commons of...

The long-lot system reflected the importance of river access, the rectangular survey reflected the desire for order, rationality, and ease of settlement, and the agricultural village and commons of the Mennonites showed the importance of shared community to that group. Folk housing styles reflected different ethnic influences, as well as the natural environment. Popular house styles have followed trends, revived historic styles, and been dramatically influenced by the dominant role of the automobile in contemporary society. Landscapes of consumption play a major role in the diffusion of popular culture and the erosion of regional distinctiveness. However, palaces of consumption have increasingly been designed as themed environments, attempting to create or simulate a distinctive place identity.