ABSTRACT
The convergence of three societal events at the end of World War II set the stage for urban wildlife management. First, automobiles and homes became more affordable and available, and returning soldiers had the means to purchase both. Second, Cold War mania provided a stimulus for the passage of the Highway Revenue Act of 1956, which created the Highway Trust Fund. This legislation enabled the development of the network of super highways through, around, and out of the cities. The original political justification for extensive highway construction was to provide city populations a rapid escape mechanism in the event of nuclear attacks. Lastly, America began to shift from a largely agrarian to a primarily urban society around 1945, as people moved away from family farms to the city for work (Figure 2.1). Highways, affordable automobiles, really cheap gas (about ten cents/gallon), and an increasingly urban population created the opportunity for mass human migration from self-contained communities in cities and small towns to suburban developments several miles from the city core. In fact, urbanization was the most massive and sudden shift of humanity in its history.
