Modern cities segregate activities spatially far more than preindustrial ones did

Evidence

The Limited Segregation of Activities. In all cities, of course, some spatial segregation of activities takes place. A barber shop is a barber shop, whether in first century Rome or twentieth century Omaha. A restaurant is a restaurant whether the diners be Medieval Englishmen or nineteenth century industrialists. The Roman was no more likely to have his hair cut in a restaurant than the nineteenth century industrialist was to have a gourmet meal at his barber shop. What I have been suggesting in this chapter is not that activities in the preindustrial city were never spatially segregated from one another-but only that they were considerably less so than they are in the modern city. — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 274