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Communities are not built of friends, or of groups with similar styles and tastes, or even of people who like and understand each other. They are built of people who feel they are part of something that is bigger than themselves: a shared goal or enterprise, like righting a wrong, or building a road, or raising children, or living honorably, or worshipping a god. To build community requires only the ability to see value in others, to look at them and see a potential partner in one’s enterprise.
—Suzanne Goldsmith, author

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Important User Information: Remote access to EBSCO's databases is permitted to patrons of subscribing institutions accessing from remote locations for personal, non-commercial use. However, remote access to EBSCO's databases from non-subscribing institutions is not allowed if the purpose of the use is for commercial gain through cost reduction or avoidance for a non-subscribing institution.

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Important User Information: Remote access to EBSCO's databases is permitted to patrons of subscribing institutions accessing from remote locations for personal, non-commercial use. However, remote access to EBSCO's databases from non-subscribing institutions is not allowed if the purpose of the use is for commercial gain through cost reduction or avoidance for a non-subscribing institution.

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The easiest way to describe Geography is the study of the world we live in - the environment, people, places, and landscapes. 'Geo' means that it is of or related to the Earth. Geographers have a unique approach to studying the Earth because they look at it from a spatial perspective, and examine both the social (Human Geography) and natural (Physical Geography) components of the world.

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If you've ever traveled the nation's highways on a road trip, you've probably had a lot of fun seeing the names of new cities as you come upon them. Many cities greet you with a large "Welcome!" sign that might also include interesting information, such as the 's motto and the year it was founded.

Several of our Wonder Friends have been WONDERing about how exactly cities get founded. So we decided to investigate and share what we learned!

Some cities have only been around a few years. (Yes! New cities are still being founded today!) Other cities may have been around for tens, hundreds, and even thousands of years.

Historians believe the first cities came into existence between 8,000-10,000 years ago. Some scientists believe the very first cities were founded around 7,500 B.C. in Mesopotamia. Some of the first cities included Eridu, Uruk, and Ur. Around this time, other cities sprang up in the Indus Valley (modern Pakistan) and ancient China.

People were mainly nomadic hunters and gatherers before these first cities were founded. The development of agriculture and the domestication of animals, however, allowed people to stop roaming and settle in one place. The creation of cities allowed people to store surplus food production and minimize the transport costs for goods and services.

Along with the development of agriculture , societies began to become more complex. People developed new systems of writing. Technological advances, such as the plow, potter's wheel, loom, and , also helped draw people to cities where goods and services could be bartered.

As time marched on, more and more cities were founded around the world. Not all cities were created for the same reasons. For example, some cities grew up around intersections of ancient routes. Rather than a of agriculture or manufacturing, these cities were large marketplaces focused on . Such cities often formed where goods would move from one mode of transportation to another, such as at a river or ocean port.

Before the invention of modern warfare techniques, many cities were founded for defensive purposes. Walled cities were common in ancient history, when walls could protect a from an attack. The invention of modern heavy and aerial warfare rendered the protection of walled cities mainly useless.

As populations grew, cities also became important centers of government. While they might also serve other functions already described, certain cities arose as seats of power for centralized government of a state or nation. Washington, D.C., is an example of such a in the United States.

As you can see, cities perform many important functions and can be founded for a variety of reasons. To a , pioneers faced many obstacles. Favorable land had to be that suited the purposes the founder had in mind. Good sources of water and land to grow food were usually at the top of the list. Depending upon the goals of the , other considerations might also be important, such as access to routes.

Today, we don't really hear that much about new cities being founded, but guess what? It still happens! Most new cities today come into existence when or suburban unincorporated areas decide to incorporate as a .

Why would they do this? Again, the reasons can vary by region and purpose. Some may incorporate to control their own destiny rather than be controlled by another local or governmental entity, such as a government. Still others may do so in order to provide necessary benefits to citizens, such as police or fire protection.

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If you've ever traveled the nation's highways on a road trip, you've probably had a lot of fun seeing the names of new cities as you come upon them. Many cities greet you with a large "Welcome!" sign that might also include interesting information, such as the 's motto and the year it was founded.

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Our understanding of community can help funders and evaluators identify, understand, and strengthen the communities they work with.