[originaltext] In the 1940s, urban Americans began a mass move to the suburb

In the 1940s, urban Americans began a mass move to the suburbs in search of fresh air, elbowroom, and privacy. Suburbs began to sprawl out across the countryside. Since most of those making the move were middle-class, they took with them the tax money the cities needed to maintain the neighborhoods in which they had lived. Thus, many cities began to fall into disrepair. Crime began to soar, and public transportation was neglected. Meanwhile, housing construction costs continued to rise higher and higher. Middle-class housing was allowed to decay, and little new housing was constructed.
    Eventually, many downtown areas existed for business only. During the day they would be filled with people working in offices, and at night they would be deserted. Given these circumstances, some business executives began asking, "Why bother with going downtown at all? Why not move the offices to the suburbs so that we can live and work in the same area?" Gradually some of the larger companies began moving out of cities, with the result that urban centers declined even further and the suburbs expanded still more.
    But it may well be said that this movement to the suburbs has reached its peak. Some people may be tired of spending long hours commuting, and they may have begun to miss the advantages of culture and companionship provided by city life. It begins to look as if suburban sprawl may not have been the answer to man’s need to create an ideal environment in which to live and work.