ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some aspects of the interaction of technology and urban form as it has occurred in the urban areas of the most highly developed countries. In the underdeveloped countries, public investment in transportation systems is low and private ownership and use of the car and telephone are generally restricted to a very small proportion of the total population. Transportation and construction technology have profound influences on the internal geography-of urban areas. Urban areas are also characterized by relatively intensive use of ground space. This is, of course, partly dependent on transportation technology, but it is also dependent on the nature of building construction. The taller a building, the greater the potential for intensive use of the piece of ground on which the structure is placed. The technology of building construction, while adapting to the demands for coverage of large ground areas has been most noted for the development of the tall building.
