Urbanization is the process by which an
increasing proportion of a population lives in
cities rather than in rural areas. Although cities
existed long before the Industrial Revolution, the
development of the factory system led to a rapid
increase in both the number of cities and the size
of their populations. People from very diverse
backgrounds worked together in the same factory.
At the same time, many people shift ed from being
producers to being consumers. For example, families
living in the cities had to buy food with their
wages because they could no longer grow their own
crops to consume or to barter for other resources.
Similarly, people had to pay rent for their lodging
because they could no longer exchange their services
for shelter