Which statement best describes how urbanization interacts with transportation networks in Canada?

• A. Urban areas grow around transportation hubs; highways, rail, air networks maintain mobility; transit reduces congestion.
• B. Urban areas grow away from transportation networks.
• C. Transportation networks expand only after urban growth.
• D. Urban growth has no relation to transportation.

Answer: (A)

Access to transportation shapes where and how cities grow. When a place has reliable ways to move people and goods—by road, rail, or air—it becomes easier for businesses to operate, for workers to commute, and for goods to be shipped. That accessibility draws people and economic activity to areas around these hubs, so urban development concentrates near airports, train stations, and major highway intersections. In Canada, this shows up as cities expanding along key corridors and building dense cores around transit hubs, ports, and airports, with transportation networks continually evolving to meet growth. Public transit, in particular, helps manage crowded central areas by offering efficient alternatives to car travel, supporting higher-density development without unbearable congestion. The idea that urban areas grow away from networks, or that networks only expand after growth, or that growth has no relation to transportation, doesn’t fit how Canadian cities actually develop. The relationship is a reinforcing cycle: better transportation attracts growth, and more growth, in turn, spurs further investment in transportation.