Kathleen M. Reilly - Cities: Discover How They Work

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85006500 BCE: Nomads (people without permanent homes) live off the land, following migrating animals and moving to areas with better conditions over the seasons.

40003500 BCE: Ancient people begin settling into groups, forming the first cities such as Ur in Mesopotamia.

1000 BCE: The first sanitation system is made in Burnt City, southeast of todays Iran.

312 BCE: The residents of Petra in Jordan build their homes directly into the walls of cliffs, instead of separate buildings like in todays cities.

300 CE: The Romans build and begin using 11 aqueducts to bring water into the city.

Words to Know

BCE: put after a date, BCE stands for Before Common Era and counts down to zero. CE stands for Common Era and counts up from zero. These non-religious terms correspond to BC and AD.

800 CE: In medieval Middle East, the first tar-paved roads are made near todays Baghdad in Iraq. The tar is made from petroleum from the oil fields in the region.

1664 CE: New York Citys name is changed from New Amsterdam to New York when the English take over the area and the current King of England gives it to his brother, the Duke of York.

1804 CE: Philadelphia becomes the first city in the world to use cast iron pipes for water instead of wood. The city gives its old wooden pipes to Burlington, New Jerseywhere they are used for another 80 years!

1863 CE: The first subway opens in London using gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives. In 1890, it becomes the first subway to use electric cars.

1880 CE: Wabash, Indiana, becomes the first city to have electric street lights. Although Wabash only has a population of 320, people come from miles around to witness the event. There are more than 10,000 people watching when the lights first come on!

1884 CE: The first skyscraper is built in Chicago. The Home Insurance Building is 10 stories tallan amazing height for the times!

1912 CE: The first electric traffic light is created by Lester Wire, a policeman in Salt Lake City, Utah. It isnt actually installed until two years later, in Cleveland, Ohio.

2004 CE: Grand Haven, Michigan, becomes the first city with citywide wi-fi access. Six years later, there are 110 municipalities with citywide wi-fi available for public use.

2010 CE: The tallest skyscraper, Burj Khalifa, is built in Dubai. It is 2,722 feet (830 meters) tall.

2011 CE: On March 11, a massive earthquake and tsunami hits Tohohu, Japan. The most powerful known earthquake ever to hit Japan (and the fifth most powerful in the world since 1900), it destroys the citys infrastructure, causing extensive and severe structural damage.

2013 CE: A new law passes in France to reduce lighting at night. Window lighting in commercial buildings will be turned off after 1 a.m. This law is meant to reduce greenhouse gases and save energy.

When you think of a city, what comes to mind? If you live in a suburban or a rural area, you might imagine a city skyline with buildings of all sizes lined up against the horizon. Maybe you think of a city as an exciting place to visit. If you live in a city, you might picture your neighborhood grocery store or the two blocks you walk to your friends house. Its home to you.

Words to Know

suburban: relating to an outlying district of a city.

rural: relating to the countryside rather than a city or town.

No matter what city you visit, youll find a concentrated area with a large number of residents, activities, and businesses. These all work together and interact like big gears in a machine.

Words to Know

resident: a person living in a particular place.

livestock: animals raised for food and other uses.

public transportation: transportation such as buses and trains that anyone can use by paying a fare.

subway: an underground railroad, especially one powered by electricity.

In a city youll feel an energy that is very different from a rural area, which has large areas of open land where there arent many houses or businesses. Open land might be owned by someone who doesnt want anything built on it, or it might be used as parkland or to raise livestock. Houses can be miles apart, and you have to take a trip into town in your car to go to stores and get supplies.

In between rural areas and cities are suburban areas with less open land. Houses are closer together, gathered in neighborhoods. You might be able to walk to a few stores, but usually you have to drive in your car.

In many cities, you almost never need to ride in a car. You can get most places by walking or taking