ABSTRACT
The largest system of the landscape is the city with its huge concentrations of people, cars, and industries. Its energy comes from fossil fuels and electric power. In only a half a century, Florida has changed from a rural state with an economy based on raw commodities to an urban state with many large cities. Much of the growth of Florida's urban centers is the direct result of an increase in availability of fuels. As populations and energy use increased, city transportation was reorganized around the automobile. In Florida, instead of developing mass transportation, private cars were used and much of the money available for public expenditure went into roads instead, filling the city with noise, congestion, and air pollution. Each city is arranged in a spatial hierarchy. The greatest concentration of activity is typically in the center of the city. Sewage, urban runoff, garbage, and air pollution are by-products of Florida's urban systems.
