Transportation and Economic Activity The oldest and most economically, socially, and politically developed cities in the world are located on the coasts of the major continents. This is no surprise...

Transportation and Economic Activity

The oldest and most economically, socially, and politically developed cities in the world are located on the coasts of the major continents. This is no surprise since water transportation is the oldest form of established transportation in the world. In the United States, cities like Philadelphia and New York were established centuries ago because of access to the Atlantic Ocean.

However, a similar pattern can be found in the United States with inland cities, such as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Detroit, Michigan. While these cities do not have access to coastal waters, they are situated near inland waterways. Also unique to these two cities was their manufacturing specialization: steel in Pittsburgh and automobiles in Detroit. Using the information contained in this chapter:

1. Explain what role transportation played in the development of these two cities.

2. Discuss what factors would lead to their manufacturing specialization.

3. Identify any other benefits to a city or geography that manufacturing specialization would create.