Final answer:
Rapid urbanization caused problems like overcrowded housing, unsanitary conditions, disease, crime, and pollution. City governments sought to mitigate these issues through infrastructure improvements, housing regulations, and urban planning. Resistance to change and divergent interests affected the success of these reforms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rapid urbanization led to a host of problems as cities became densely populated at rates that infrastructure and resources could not keep pace with. Due to the industrial era, work opportunities in factories attracted masses to urban areas, causing overcrowded living conditions, unsanitary environments, inadequate housing, and insubstantial sanitation services. Widespread disease such as typhoid and cholera, high crime rates, and increased pollution were direct results of these conditions. Transportation was another issue, with the layout of cities and their surrounding areas often necessitating the ownership of a car, leading to traffic congestion.
City governments responded to the challenges of rapid urbanization with various reforms and regulations. They introduced sewage pumping systems to tackle sanitation issues, addressed housing by enforcing building codes, and improved transportation by investing in public transit systems. Urban planning emerged as a field dedicated to developing solutions for housing and living conditions, while social activists pushed for changes to improve the lives of urban dwellers.
However, these efforts were met with various levels of resistance and effectiveness. Some government officials and activists genuinely sought to enhance the lives of city inhabitants and the working class, while others were reluctant due to the fear of change it might bring. As urban difficulties escalated, some individuals and groups advocated for restrictive immigration laws, blaming newcomers for the urban crises, showcasing the deep societal divisions that accompanied urban growth.