How Living Conditions Improved in Towns and Cities

The 1830s HORSE BUSES allowed cheap transport for the workers and so allowed workers to live a bit further away from the factories and so reduced overcrowding a little. POLICE FORCES led to a reduction in crimes of vandalism and against property. People felt safer in the streets and in their communities. GAS LIGHTING made streets safer and more pleasant, particularly at night. Gas lighting was also less polluting.

The 1840s PAVING STREETS got rid of the cobbled streets which allowed dirt to build up and made streets harder to clean and walk on. RAILWAYS meant that people could move out to the suburbs, so reduced overcrowding in the city centres and meant that the working class had more access to jobs further away from their homes. Railways provided jobs which allowed some poorer people to pay higher rents for better housing.

The 1850s STREET CLEANING meant that the streets had less rubbish and waste in them so less disease was spread and walking around was more pleasant. Many rich people donated money to build ART MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES, so that poorer people would have access to great works of art and historical artefacts. These buildings made cities more attractive and allowed people to educate themselves more. Their general well-being was enhanced.

Free Libraries Free libraries allowed poorer people access to knowledge to educate themselves and learn more about their interests as well as read newspapers to find out more about news and current events. This could allow people to get better jobs and afford to improve their housing or pay higher rent to live elsewhere as well as how to improve their health.

Mains Water Mains water was crucial in improving living conditions in the towns and cities. Mains water meant that water was carried to standpipes and taps in strong, separate pipes and sewage was carried away from homes in similar pipes that would not allow sewage and water to mix and spread disease. This also allowed people to wash more and drink more water instead of beer or other less healthy liquids.

Sewage Disposal Better sewage disposal meant that human waste was taken away from privies and toilets in pipes which were better sealed and completely separate from the water supply. This meant much less disease, particularly cholera, and so meant life expectancy in the towns and cities improved.

Better Medical Services Better medical services meant that more hospitals were built to serve the community and more doctors and nurses were trained to help people. More medical practices were set up and education improved, so that people had greater knowledge about how to keep themselves healthy by keeping their homes and selves clean.

Fire brigades meant that fires in housing could be put out more quickly and with fewer houses being destroyed. Fires in the past within wooden housing had led to homelessness and overcrowding. Bicycles allowed many people to move out of city centres or at least live further away from factories and businesses and cycle to work. Again, overcrowding was reduced.

Compulsory schooling led to the building of new schools in towns and cities for education of primary school children. This improved their understanding of hygiene and allowed many to get better jobs and afford better housing when they grew up. Trams allowed people to live further away from city centres and provided a cheap and fairly direct way of getting to work. Suburbs developed and city centres became less crowded.

Electric light meant cleaner, safer, less polluting lighting for streets, factories and houses of the better-off. Slum clearance meant that the government used taxes to demolish some of the worst slums in the big cities and replace them with well-designed council houses for rent to families. In some cases the land was used to develop businesses or open spaces and council estates were built outside the city centres.

Council Houses Council houses were built from 1920 onwards. They were built to strict design codes using quality materials and were used to house families at a reduced/subsidised rent, which enabled huge numbers to move out of inner city slums. However, not enough council houses were built, so many remained in privately-rented poor housing, even by the 1930s.