TITLE:
An Analysis of the Urbanization Process of Kansas City (1765-1940)
AUTHORS:
Yiyue Tu
KEYWORDS:
Kansas City, Urban History of the United States, Urbanization, Urban Planning
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.12 No.8,
August
26,
2025
ABSTRACT: Kansas City initially accumulated strength through trade, relying on its superior port conditions. After the first railway was built into the city, it entered a period of rapid urbanization, with a large number of people flocking to Kansas City in search of development opportunities. To meet housing needs, the government expanded the city scale multiple times. Population mobility and technological progress gave rise to frequent trading activities, which in turn drove economic prosperity and promoted the continuous improvement of urban infrastructure and surrounding road construction. Thus, Kansas City rose to become one of the core cities in the Midwest. However, following the nationwide urbanization stagnation after the Great Depression, Kansas City entered a stage of population outflow to the surrounding areas and expansion by annexing neighboring regions.