At the turn of the twentieth century many people found themselves living in a crowded and complex environment. The industrialization of European, Japanese and North American cities and the increasing population boom brought about a new world. Many aspects of the average citizen's lives became regimented, much like the factories in which they worked. Increasingly people moved from rural areas to the more urban areas of the rapidly expanding cities. Despite and increase in pollution (mostly from the coa burning factories) People where living longer and the birth rate remained very high, straining the resources of Asia and Europe.