Final answer:
Factories needed to be located in cities during the Industrial Revolution due to the lack of wind or flowing rivers for power. The steam engine innovation allowed for the strategic placing of factories closer to urban centers, changing the urban industrial landscape.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Industrial Revolution, factories needed to be located in cities and in places where there might not be enough wind or flowing rivers for power. The correct answer to the question is c) factories. The development of an efficient coal-fired steam engine by the Scottish engineer James Watt enabled these industrial complexes to be placed closer to cities, where there was convenient access to transport hubs, workers, and consumers. This technological advancement was significant as it provided reliable power regardless of seasonal water flow and allowed for greater flexibility in factory locations, fueling the expansion of urban areas and manufacturing capacity.
In the early stages of the Industrial Revolution, factories and modes of transportation relied heavily on the steam engine as their main power source. This need drove the placement of factories along natural water sources for easy access to this critical resource. However, with the introduction of the steam engine that could operate independent of waterways, factories could be located virtually anywhere, which dramatically reshaped the urban landscape as it fostered the growth of industries and cities alike.