This volume offers an examination of the nation's urban development and reflects the city's pivotal role in the unfolding of American history. The Second Edition has been significantly revised to include more than 75% new content and a greater emphasis on suburbanization and historically marginalized groups. Chapters included in this edition focus on the lower classes and class relations and conditions; the evolution of technology; race relations and redevelopment in the postwar era; and significant changes in urbanization. In order to address the current urban climate, the final chapter focuses on violence and the search for security in a post-September 11th America.