In the city there is an increase in ‘secondary’ relation in the place of ‘primary’ relations. This leads to the decline of face-to-face communication. The growth of transportation and communication systems has an adverse effect on primary group life.

The city is characterized by formal social structures such as large scale bureaucracies, courts, police dept, welfare agencies which take the place of informal means such as neighbourhood interactions. Following Simmel, Park argued that urban life will be more dominated by reason/rationality.