Industrial city

In the United States, which had much sparsely populated land, the industry typically preceded the town; the town grew up around a factory, mine, or source of water power. As the industry grew, and it and its employees needed goods and services, the town grew with and often around it, until in some cases the town became a city. It is a capitalistic and typically unplanned expansion. Examples are Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the mill towns of New England. Many American industrial cities are located in the Great Lakes region of the country, often referred to as the Rust Belt, referring to the declining industry and overall economy of many cities in the region. "The industrial city" as a nickname, though, most frequently refers to South San Francisco, where the term is inscribed on a hillside sign.

In Europe, where industries more frequently arose within existing cities, industrialization affected the internal structure of many of them. Potential needs such as raw materials, transportation and labor required for the establishment of industrial zones require consultation of the local and general public. Therefore, special policies are needed. This situation causes industrial zones and industrialists to take on an additional role in terms of policy. Since the industrial revolution, these subsidiaries remain important similarly. With this by the end of the nineteenth century the shape and functions of most cities, along with social relations and growing industries, naturally rebuilt Manchester, England, is considered to be the archetype of the industrial city on the basis of Friedrich Engels' observations.

In the Chinese-speaking world, the term "industrial city" refers to cities in which the municipal economy is led by heavy industries or the heavy industry is a significant impression of the city to people other than its local residents.