Changes I Witnessed in New Jersey

I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia.  The town I was born and raised in was about 15 to 20 minutes outside of South Philly.  The area started being built up around 1985, so the type of people that moved there were typically young couples and families.  By the time I reached 8th grade in 2002, 17 years had passed since the town had really been established.  More and more people from South Philly were moving out towards the suburbs.  I would say that the crime rate increased, including robberies, drug incidents, etc.  Before you knew it, a large percentage of the neighborhood had recently moved in from the city.  I can't exactly say I agree with the scholars at the University of Chicago is regards to the distribution being natural.  I side more with Drake and Cayton's theory's that cities, and Philadelphia in particular, is shaped by social forces.  Specific areas were built around different places, making some areas more desirable than others.  Those areas not as desirable, are in a worse location and were not made to be an alluring place to live.  Because of that, poor people are forced to live in these areas called ghettos.  As time passed, companies chose to have location in the suburbs.  With that, barriers between the city and the suburbs began to diminish.  It's the prime example of modern urbanism and where there was once clear divisions, there is now a blurry line.  People in my town dress like they live in the city, and carry the same mannerisms and accents as well.  With the suburbs having nice neighborhoods that were affordable, people found it a more viable option.  Harvey's theory of the restructuring of space clearly defines what has happened in my area.