How do European cities differ from U.S. cities?

It is a question from my geography class, so please answer it geographily!

Public Comments

1. The primary difference between european cities and U.S. cities is that European cities are in Europe, while U.S. cities are usually found only in the United States. Geographically speaking. Please go ahead and rate this as the "Best Answer". I am sure no better answer will be offered.
2. European major cities are closer to each other than in the U.S. LA to New York is far compared to Rome to Paris. European buildings are older. U.S. cities such as New York have no trace of anything European is what my Dutch friend told me when he went to visit it!
3. Like they say, no great European city was built after the introduction of gunpowder, and no great American city was built before. This simple fact of life shaped the cities of both continents. European cities have a core that could be defended by walls and moats, American cities are more expansive and open.
4. US Cities usually have a street grids forming rectangular blocks and lots. European cities usually have a street networks that fit the topography, connect landmarks, or follow historic footpaths.
5. heres a lovely picture to illustrate. http://www.jovenesquepiensan.com/imagenes/europe_at_night.jpg http://4umi.com/image/map/America_at_night.jpg as you can see, by the lights, the cities in europe, are closer together, they are also more densely populated. american cities are bigger. but less densely populated. they display an effect we call agglomeration. which basically means that because suburbs are so far removed from the city center, new centres (with shops and malls) are developed in the suburbs. creating new smaller 'sub' cities. europe is a lot smaller, space is scarse, so houses are build as closely together as possible. distances are therefor shorter, and agglomeration only happens in the largest cities (london, paris, berlin and thats basically it. a few typical european street: http://pascalverschuere.punt.nl/upload/albert_street_london.JPG http://website.leidenuniv.nl/~dupuismc/EUREA/Straat.jpg http://www.groenhofgroep.nl/Makelaardij/Huizen/Foto's/Lwd_Zeesterstraat_5/straat.JPG a few typically american streets. http://blogs.move.com/first-time-home-buyers/wp-content/blogs.dir/21/files/2007/06/suburb.jpg http://blueroof.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/suburb.png http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/property/mapping/images/kangaroo_point.jpg one american city is a big exception to this rule, new york. because new york is on an island, it is far more densely populated, instead of spreading out wide, the buildings went up and up and up. giving something that looks much much more like this. http://www.verenigdestaten.info/sta-ste/images-steden/newyork11-skyline.jpg
6. European cities are a lot older