Which factor contributed to suburban growth by enabling long-distance commuting?

Which factor contributed to suburban growth by enabling long-distance commuting?

• A. Global Diffusion
• B. Transportation
• C. Suburbia
• D. White Flight

Answer: (B)

Advances in transportation allowed people to live farther from the city while still commuting to work, which spurred suburban growth. Early 20th-century streetcar networks and rail lines let families move to nearby towns or outlying areas yet work in urban centers. After World War II, the rise of affordable cars and the expansion of highways made longer commutes practical for many households, fueling a rapid boom in suburbs and the spread of residential areas around cities. That connection between mobility and settlement patterns is why transportation is the best explanation for suburban growth through long-distance commuting. Global diffusion describes spreading ideas or technologies, not the specific ability to travel long distances for work. Suburbia is the result, not the mechanism. White flight reflects demographic shifts that occurred in some areas, but it’s about who moved rather than what enabled the long commutes.

Advances in transportation allowed people to live farther from the city while still commuting to work, which spurred suburban growth. Early 20th-century streetcar networks and rail lines let families move to nearby towns or outlying areas yet work in urban centers. After World War II, the rise of affordable cars and the expansion of highways made longer commutes practical for many households, fueling a rapid boom in suburbs and the spread of residential areas around cities.

That connection between mobility and settlement patterns is why transportation is the best explanation for suburban growth through long-distance commuting. Global diffusion describes spreading ideas or technologies, not the specific ability to travel long distances for work. Suburbia is the result, not the mechanism. White flight reflects demographic shifts that occurred in some areas, but it’s about who moved rather than what enabled the long commutes.