The mass production of affordable cars led to significant alterations in the physical landscape, particularly in urban and suburban areas, through several key processes:

• Urban Sprawl and Suburbanization: Affordable cars enabled people to live farther from city centers, leading to the expansion of suburbs and low-density development on the outskirts of cities. This "urban sprawl" caused cities to spread outward rather than grow inward, fundamentally changing the spatial organization of metropolitan areas

• Changes in City Infrastructure: To accommodate the growing number of automobiles, cities had to redesign streets, build extensive road networks, and create large parking lots. Parking areas now occupy a substantial portion of urban land, sometimes over one-third in some U.S. cities, which increased impervious surfaces and affected local environments by increasing runoff and heat

• Highway Construction and Road Networks: The development of urban highways and the Interstate Highway System facilitated long-distance travel and connected suburbs to city centers. However, these highways often cut through established neighborhoods, disrupting communities and altering urban landscapes. Beltways and interstates redirected development away from city cores, contributing to economic decline in some urban centers

• Environmental and Social Impacts: The car-centric design of cities led to increased traffic congestion, pollution, and a decline in pedestrian-friendly spaces. Public transportation systems were often neglected, and the prioritization of automobiles reshaped urban environments to favor vehicles over people, impacting community cohesion and urban vitality

In summary, the mass production of affordable cars transformed cities from compact, walkable communities into sprawling, car-dependent landscapes characterized by extensive road networks, parking infrastructure, and suburban growth. This reshaping of the physical landscape had profound social, economic, and environmental consequences