The physical environment can be modified in many ways. Natural occurrences such as weather erosion or natural disasters can sometimes modify the environment. However, humans can also modify the environment through various methods. Humans can modify the environment by building a new strip center near a neighborhood, building a bridge across a waterway, or building a freeway through a desert. Humans modify the environment to meet the ever changing needs of societies. This resource provides examples of how human modification to the environment occurs through transportation.

Transportation has changed over time; the changes have historically been in response to the needs of society and the advancements in technology. As technology improves and the ideas of those working within the transportation industry expand, the changes to the types of transportation available for human use are phenomenal. The changes in the types of transportation have led to other changes.

The physical environment has been altered as a result of the changes to the transportation types. For example, the invention of the bicycle and its increased use led to the creation of bicycle trails; there are now bicycle lanes on many streets to accommodate growing bicycle traffic.

That is just one example of how the physical environment adapts to the changes in transportation. Henry Ford’s production of the Model T during the 1920s not only created a system of mass production of the automobile, but it also helped change the landscape of America. Scroll over the image below to find examples of how the Model T impacted the physical environment.