Different case-studies were being undertaken under the banner of urban sociology. Mark J. Bouman, trained in historical geography, seeks the meaning of street- lighting and the patterns of light distribution in cities from ancient Greece and Rome to Minneapolis during the 1920s. Concepts were luxury, control, and utility among the rich and the poor.

In another case-study, Donald F. Davis showed how the jitney (shared taxi) of the World War I period served the transportation need of a number of persons who were not well served by the public service system: women, the poor and blacks. Yet, the jitney failed because interest groups in local transportation turned to politicians to eliminate a competitor rather than allowing the market place to function.

Less attention was given to the topic how urban conditions influenced the design of particular machines. The other approach was to assess the development of structures in terms of their significance for urban space. The influence of technology on building design and land-use pattern remained a popular area of evolution materials, techniques, and styles that enabled builders to erect structures of greater size and specialization. Scholars also called attention to social and environmental problems that arose from technological changes in building design.

New perspectives should emerge in relation to technology and urban space. The authors conclude by pointing out that we are too unaccustomed to considering interrelationships between different realms of human activity to see clearly the points at which they are connected.

In the next lecture we will discuss two different technologies that changed social mores and changed the urban experience. They are the invention of chimney and fireplace in medieval England and the street lighting technology in Europe and America.