In Transit: The Changing Nature of Cities, Suburbs and Modes of Communication in Cold War America

Abstract

This article is concerned with the study of urban spaces, such as cities, suburbs and modes of transportation, and their changing social and political dimensions in Cold War America. To do so, the essay will try to understand how cities and suburbs, post- World War II, evolved in terms of demographic composition and how domestic and foreign policies of the two power blocks impacted this demography. American sociologist, Louis Wirth’s (1996) ideas of expansion of cities and formation of suburbs have been examined against the actual development of American metropolises alongside an exploration of domestic policies, especially those of ‘containment’ and ‘conformity’, and referenced to works of Cold War historians- Robert Genter and Nadel. Having identified the forces governing these spaces, the essay then delves forward to account for the implications of the ‘third space’ in Cold War America. It considers ‘third space’ as a geographic entity, as propounded by historian of urban planning- Edward Soja, and compares the representation of the ‘third space’ in Cold War literary texts to derive its conclusion.