The text authors assert that “the battle lines in most [late nineteent

The text authors assert that “the battle lines in most [late nineteenth-century] cities were drawn between individual profits and public need”.

What were the key sources of profit in late nineteenth-century American cities? What were the most pressing public needs? Who won the “battle?” Why?

ANSWER
City services, construction contracts, and transportation facilities were among the major sources of profit. Public needs included police protection, sanitation, housing, and zoning ordinances. To 1900, America’s cities were “private” cities.