Question

which was a result of urbanization at the turn of the 20th century in the united states?
a new public services led to a sharp reduction of crime rates in cities.
b overcrowding and a lack of sanitation created poor living conditions.
c public transportation options declined as people relied on the use of cars.
d high production costs caused manufacturing plants to be relocated to the suburbs.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Crime rates did not sharply reduce due to new public services during 20th - century US urbanization; in fact, urbanization brought challenges like overcrowding which could increase crime - related issues in some aspects.
• Option B: During the turn of the 20th century, as people moved to cities for jobs (industrialization), cities became overcrowded. There was a lack of proper sanitation infrastructure to handle the increased population, leading to poor living conditions. This is consistent with the effects of urbanization at that time.
• Option C: At the turn of the 20th century, the use of cars was not as widespread as to cause a decline in public transportation. Public transportation like streetcars was developing in cities. The decline of public transportation in favor of cars happened later with the rise of automobile ownership in the mid - 20th century.
• Option D: Manufacturing plants were located in cities during this period because of access to labor, transportation (for raw materials and finished goods), and infrastructure. High production costs later (not at the turn of the 20th century) led to the relocation of some manufacturing to suburbs.

Answer:

B. Overcrowding and a lack of sanitation created poor living conditions.