Here's an interesting question: which city do you think is more dense—Paris, France

這裡有一個有趣的問題：法國巴黎和美國紐約

or New York, United States?

你覺得哪一個城市的人口更加稠密？

It probably seems obvious: New York, the land of skyscrapers, the Big Apple… right?

答案可能看起來很明顯：紐約， 摩天大樓國度，Big Apple……對吧？

Wrong.

錯誤。

New York, in fact, has a population density of less than half that of Paris.

事實上，紐約的人口密度不到巴黎的一半。

Paris's is 56,000 people per square mile (22,000 per square kilometer) while New York's

巴黎每平方英里居住有56000人（22,000每平方公里）

is only 27,000 people per square mile (10,500 per square kilometer.)

而紐約每平方英里只有2.7萬人 （10500每平方公里）

To find a European city with a comparable population density to New York's—the densest

要找到一個和紐約(美國人口最稠密的城市) 人口密度相當歐洲城市

American city—you have to go all the way down to number six on the list: Lyon France

你得看到歐洲排名中的第六位：法國里昂

(27,000 per sq/mile; 10,500 per sq/km.)

（27 000每平方米/英里; 10500每平方/公里。）

New York of course has a super-dense urban core, but then around it is miles and miles

當然，紐約有一個超密集的都會核心， 然而圍繞它的卻是綿延不斷的郊區，

of suburbia—just like almost every other American city.

正如幾乎所有其他美國城市一樣。

Paris, on the other hand, packs almost its entire population into a compact urban core.

另一方面，巴黎， 幾乎所有人口聚集在一個緊湊的都會核心之內

There's also another interesting pattern that differs between the two continents: rich

還有另外一個有趣的兩大洲之間的不同的模式：

Americans live outside the city, rich Europeans live city center.

在美國，富裕階層居住在城市， 而富裕的歐洲人則居住在市中心。

Compare the income map of Paris to that of Philadelphia.

可以比較一下巴黎和費城的收入地圖。

Of course it's not perfect, but you can definitely see a pattern.

當然，這有些粗糙，但你確實可以看到這樣一個模式，

The most commonly cited reason for both these trends is the difference in age.

關於這兩種不同的趨勢， 最常被提及的原因是城市年齡的差異。

Most European cities have existed for hundreds if not thousands of years, while all but a

大多數歐洲城市已經存在數百年甚至是數千年，

few American cities only gathered enough population to be called cities in the past one or two

而一些美國城市達到能被稱為城市的人口規模的時刻，

hundred years.

不過是過去的一兩百年。

What that means is that European cities existed when all but the super-rich had to commute

這也就意味著，在那些超級富豪必須通過步行通勤的年代，

to work by foot.

歐洲的城市就已經存在了。

In the middle ages, Paris had a population of two to three hundred thousand people, but

在中世紀，巴黎擁有二十到三十萬人口之多，

you could walk from one side to the other in thirty minutes.

但你仍然可以在三十分鐘內從城市的一端步行到另一端，

It was incredibly densely populated.

人口難以置信地稠密。

You just had to live within walking distance of work.

那時人們必須生活在步行可達的範圍之內，

Therefore, the rich paid more for the houses closest to the center of the city.

因此，富人付出更多以求居住得更接近于市中心，

This is a similar reason to why in historic European hotels, you'll often see the nicest

類似的原因或許解釋了為什麼歷史悠久的歐洲酒店

and largest rooms on the lower floors—the opposite of what you'd see today.

你會經常看到的最好的、最大的房間通常在低樓層， 和你今天所看到的正相反。

Before elevators existed, the rich didn't want to have to walk up as many flights of

電梯被發明之前， 有錢人並不想徒步攀登那麼多樓梯。

stairs.

電梯被發明之前， 有錢人並不想徒步，攀登那麼多樓梯。

Walking distance was not only important to big cities.

步行距離不僅在大城市重要，

Small villages across Europe were almost always the same size because their population was

歐洲的小村莊幾乎總是相同的大小，

dictated by the walkability of the surrounding fields.

便是因為它們的人口由周遭區域步行能抵達的範圍決定

European farmers tended to live in small towns and walk to their fields during the day rather

歐洲農民傾向於居住在小城鎮， 並且步行到他們的田地勞作，

than the homesteading approach used in America.

這和美國農民普遍持有莊園的情況不同。

Therefore, villages would only be as large as the amount of people needed to work the

因此，這裡的村莊

fields within walking distance.

只會大到人們只需步行即可到田地工作的規模。

American cities, on the other hand, began their period of rapid growth in a more modern

在另一方面 在更近代的、去中心化技術變得更先進時期，

era when decentralizing technologies were much more advanced.

美國城市也開始了他們的快速增長期。

By the time North American cities grew larger than the distance people could reasonably

在北美城市變得越來越大、 超過了人們能夠步行的範圍的時候，

walk, there was already the technological capability to create public transportation

已經有了足以興造公共運輸系統的技術。

systems.

已經有了足以興造公共運輸系統的技術。

The first major public transportation innovation was the steam train in the mid 19th century.

第一個主要的公共運輸創新， 便是在19世紀中期的蒸汽火車。

This was a very expensive means of transport and was therefore only for the super rich.

這是一種非常昂貴的交通方式， 因此只有超級富豪才能夠使用。

Interestingly, because steam trains take an enormous amount of time to reach speed, the

有趣的是，因為蒸汽火車需要很漫長的時間加速，

towns that the rich commuted from, known as railroad suburbs, were generally not just

作為富人們通勤使用的城鎮，也就是所謂鐵路近郊，

at the nearest bit of countryside, but separated from the city by a few miles of countryside.

通常不是位於最鄰近的鄉村， 而是與市區相隔數英里的鄉村。

The impact of railroad suburbs remains today.

鐵路近郊的影響今天依然存在，

On the track of the old Philadelphia Main Line, there's a stretch of super-rich communities

在舊費城鐵道上，便有富豪社區延伸。

with huge estates and country clubs from Ardmore to Malvern.

從 Ardmore 到 Malvern 都有著巨大的莊園和鄉村俱樂部。

The demographics just never changed from the time of the railroad suburb.

人口統計資料自鐵路近郊的時代以來並無甚改變。

A few decades later, streetcars emerged and quickly became an instrumental part of the

幾十年後，有軌電車出現， 並迅速成為美國通勤的重要工具。

American commute.

幾十年後，有軌電車出現， 並迅速成為美國通勤的重要工具。

Much like steam trains, streetcars also created new communities—this time with slightly

就像蒸汽火車，電車也創造了新社區─

less rich upper-middle class individuals.

這一次是沒那麼有錢的上層中產階級人士。

In Washington DC, the wealthy suburbs of Tenleytown, Chevy Chase, Bethesda, McLean, Rockville,

在華盛頓特區，Tenley town，Chevy Chase，Bethesda，McLean，Rockville這些富裕的郊區

and more all grew as a result of the streetcar.

都是隨電車出現而形成的。

But once again, walking distance influenced geography.

但再次，步行距離影響地理，

Streetcar commuters had to live within walking distance of a stop, so naturally there would

電車通勤者不得不居住在電車站的步行距離之內，

be a radius of civilization about 20 or 30 minutes walking distance from a stop, then

所以人們自然集中在 步行至電車站需二十至三十分鐘距離內，

past that…nothing.

超過這個範圍......什麼都沒有

That meant that between the lines, there was all this open space where nobody could commute

這就意味著在電車線路之間 全是大片的空地，沒人能在那裡通勤。

from.

這就意味著在電車線路之間 全是大片的空地，沒人能在那裡通勤。

Enter: the automobile.

隨後汽車登場。

At first the car was only for upper class individuals especially with the distraction

起初，汽車僅為上層階級所使用， 特別當時美國還為兩次大戰和大蕭條所分心

of the two World Wars and Great Depression, however, by the time young Americans returned

然而，隨後美國年輕人從二戰戰場返回，

from World War Two, there had been enough technological advances to make the automobile

此時的技術已經允許人們生產中產能夠負擔的汽車。

affordable for the middle class.

此時的技術已經允許人們生產中產能夠負擔的汽車。

Over 50% of households had cars by 1950.

到1950年，超過50％的家庭擁有汽車。

At the same time, the government was offering loans to returning veterans which significantly

與此同時，政府向退伍軍人提供貸款，

increased the number of americans who could afford to buy homes.

這顯著地增加了美國能夠買得起房的人口。

Instead of buying a small central city home, this generation opted to use their new cars

與其買一個小的市中心的房產， 這一代人選擇使用他們的新汽車通勤

to commute from cheaper, nicer, and larger suburban homes.

以便居住於位在郊區、更便宜更好更大的房子。

The idea was that the working parents would go downtown each day while the rest of the

當時的想法是，工作的父母會每天去市區，

family would stay to enjoy the suburb.

而剩下的家人則會留下來享受郊區。

It was the perfect deal.

這是完美的交易。

So that whole history was absolutely true, but it doesn't entirely explain why European

儘管這整個歷史是絕對真實的， 但它並不能完全解釋為什麼

cities didn't experience suburbanization as well.

歐洲城市沒有經歷郊區化。

In Germany, for example, many, if not most, cities were bombed to rubble during World

在德國，許多甚至可以說大多數的城市

War Two.

在二戰中被轟炸成斷垣殘壁，

They had the opportunity to rebuild in any way they wanted, but then chose to keep their

他們有機會以任何方式重建社區，

compact design.

但他們卻選擇了保持高密度的設計。

Today, the average metropolitan population density in Germany is four times higher than

目前，德國大都市的平均人口密度比美國高四倍。

the US's.

目前，德國大都市的平均人口密度比美國高四倍。

At the same time, other cities across Europe that survived the war experienced enormous

與此同時，歐洲其他城市則在戰爭中倖存下來，

population influxes and still maintained their mammoth population densities.

人口大量湧入，卻仍然保持著龐大的人口密度。

Perhaps the least commonly cited reason for suburbanization in the US is crime.

犯罪或許是美國郊區化最少被提及的原因。

It's a bit of an ugly period in American history that we sometimes forget, but crime

我們有時會忘記， 但這是美國歷史上一個有點醜陋的時期

levels were absolutely insane in the 70's, 80's, and 90's.

犯罪率在70、80、90年代堪稱瘋狂。

There are a ton of different theories for why this was—perhaps the most interesting

有無數不同的理論來解釋這件事， 而其中最有趣的也許是

being the that the rise in gasoline emitted lead caused lower IQ's and higher aggressively.

升高的含鉛汽車廢氣 造成智商低下的和更高的攻擊性。

New York had an astronomical 2,245 murders in 1990.

1990年，紐約達到了天文數字般的2245起謀殺，

London didn't even have that many in the entire 90's decade.

倫敦在整個90年代裡也沒有那麼多。

Violent crime rates are still consistently 10 or more times higher in the US.

在美國，暴力犯罪率仍然持續比英國高出十倍以上。

In 1992, a poll was conducted asking departing New Yorkers why they were moving to the suburbs,

1992年，一份民調詢問搬離紐約的人 為什麼他們要搬到郊區。

and the most commonly cited reason was crime at 47%.

最常提及的原因是“犯罪”，達到了47%。

Cost and quality of living were way down at lower than 10% each.

“成本和生活品質” 則低至10%以下。

Crime rates are significantly lower in suburbs as they are typically havens for higher-income

犯罪率在郊區顯著降低， 因為它們通常作為高收入人群的避難所。

individuals.

犯罪率在郊區顯著降低， 因為它們通常作為高收入人群的避難所。

Europeans don't have to worry as much about inter-city crime so they're much more willing

歐洲人不太需要擔心太多這樣的城市犯罪，

to live downtown.

所以他們更願意住在市中心。

Land for suburban housing is also readily available in the US because farmers have always

美國郊區住房的土地也更容易獲得，

been quick to sell their relatively unprofitable land to developers.

因為農民總是很快出售其相對無利可圖的 土地給開發商。

By contrast, In France, for example, agricultural subsidies are 12 times higher per acre of

與此相反，法國每英畝的農業補貼

land than the US.

高出美國12倍。

That's a big reason why large European cities are still closely surrounded by small farms.

這也是 大量歐洲城市仍然由小農場緊緊包圍的一個很大的原因。

In many European cities, you can literally take the city bus to farms.

在許多歐洲城市，你真的可以 乘坐市內公車到農場。

Lastly, all sorts of energy are cheaper in the US.

最後，種種的能源在美國都更便宜。

A gallon of gas costs as much as $7 in some parts of Europe compared to the US average

與在歐洲部分國家，一加侖汽油賣$7相比，

of $2.20.

美國平均僅有 $2.20。

It's significantly more expensive to commute by car in Europe so there's more motivation

在歐洲使用汽車通勤明顯更貴， 所以歐洲人有更高的動機住在距工作處更近的地方，

to live closer to work where either the drive is shorter or you can take public transportation.

要嘛開車時間短，要嘛可以乘坐大眾運輸工具。

Also, big suburban homes aren't as attractive in Europe because electricity and heating

此外，在歐洲，因為電費和取暖成本較高

costs are higher.

大型郊區住宅通常沒有什麼吸引力。

Suburban life really didn't live up to expectations.

然而郊區生活確實沒有滿足大家的期望。

Americans now spend an average of 4.25 hours per week sitting in cars, buses, or trains

美國人現在平均每週花費 4.25 小時 坐在汽車、巴士或火車往返工作。

traveling to and from work.

美國人現在平均每週花費 4.25 小時 坐在汽車、巴士或火車往返工作。

That's 2.5% of their entire lives.

這是他們的整個人生的2.5％。

It's also been scientifically proven that commuting from the suburbs is linked to higher

科學亦證明：從郊區通勤和更高的血壓、

blood pressure, lower frustration tolerance, and higher rates of anxiety.

更低的挫折容忍力、更高機率的焦慮相關。

Also, the suburbs are no longer the countryside havens that they once were.

此外，郊區也不再是曾經的鄉下庇護所，

They're just a continuation of the urban sprawl.

它們只是一個城市的延伸。

Rich Americans are therefore beginning to return to the city.

也因此富裕的美國人開始返回都市，

With lower crime rates, higher fuel costs, and an overall shift in attitude, urban cores

隨著犯罪率較低，燃料成本上升和觀念的改變，

are having a second renaissance.

都會核心正在迎來復興。

So that's why we live where we do.

這就是我們之所以住在我們現在的地方的原因。

It's a complicated, controversial, and surprisingly political history.

這是一個複雜的，有爭議的，並且令人驚奇的政治史。

I hope you enjoyed this Wendover Production video.

我希望你喜歡這個 Wendover Production 短片

I first need to thank my amazing sponsor—the Great Courses Plus.

我首先要感謝我的贊助商 The Great Courses Plus

The Great Courses Plus is a subscription on-demand video learning service where you can watch

The Great Courses Plus 是一種訂閱點播 視頻學習服務

unlimited top-notch courses from Ivy League Professors, National Geographic Scientists,

你可以觀看無限的拔尖課程 從常青藤教授，國家地理科學家

Culinary Institute of America Chefs, and hundreds more highly qualified individuals.

Culinary Institute 的美國廚師 和數以百計的高度合資格的人士

If you enjoyed this video, I highly recommend the course on Cultural and Human Geography.

如果你喜歡這個短片，我強烈推薦 文化與人文歷史課程

It's a super-interesting topic, and this course absolutely does it justice.

這是一個超級有趣的話題

You can watch this or any other of the hundreds of courses for free when you sign up for a

點擊www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/wendover 註冊一個30天免費試用權限

30-day free trial using the link www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/wendover or the link is also in the description.

便可以觀看這個或任何其他數百個免費課程

I also recently started a Patreon which you can go to by clicking here.

我最近也開始一個 Patreon 你可以點擊這裡

There are a bunch of great rewards like early access to videos, stickers, t-shirts, and

這裡有很多絕好的獎品

best of all, every dollar contributed over there goes right back into the channel.

00:09:40,050 --> 00:09:46,080 除此之外，請關注我的Twitter @WendoverPro，看我的最近一部影片的故事

Aside from that, please follow me on Twitter @WendoverPro, watch my last video on the story

787和A380飛機的背後， 看看www.Reddit.com/WendoverProductions

behind the 787 and a380 planes, check out my fan-moderated subreddit at www.Reddit.com/WendoverProductions,

最重要的是，請一定訂閱這個頻道

and most of all, subscribe to this channel.

再次感謝您的收看，兩周內我會與你在下一個Wendover Productions短片中再見

Thanks again for watching, and I'll see you in two weeks for another Wendover Productions

video.