How railroads contributed to growth of a modern city?

Abstract

In this article, the author presents modernization of social life under the influence of railroads. He focuses his attention on the city on the Brda River, its immediate and further surroundings. In every analyzed case, the described changes had taken place at a varied pace and scale, although in all of them, their uniform, innovative character was visible. They included time optimization, technical progress, economization of life, growing egalitarianism, women’s emancipation, processes of self-organization of society and democratization of social life, industrialization, urbanization, and expansion of transport network.