Thanks to industrialization at the turn of the 19th-20th century, people from rural areas actively moved to cities. Such movement, the corresponding urban sprawl, and people’s adaptation to new conditions is called urbanization.
The process peaked in 1901-1911 and had some adverse consequences – uncontrollability, overcrowding, noise, and the spread of diseases. Studying urbanization in Canadian history in the course is crucial since it significantly changed society and influenced its future.
Unpleasant conditions caused the need for reform, and actions to implement it affected various the population’s life; for example, efforts were aimed at social and moral changes. An essential part of the reform was a concern for the environment and cities’ improvement.
The “city beautiful” movement united municipalities, leagues, and other organizations in their urban planning and development efforts to improve the towns. The state established control on water supply, telephones, electricity, and other services, and these measures improved the population’s living conditions.