Why did cities start numbering houses, and how did street addresses become

Before formal numbering, cities relied on house names, heraldic symbols, or owner identities to locate dwellings^[4]. As populations surged, this informal system failed to meet the needs of growing urban centers^[5]. Governments stepped in, using numbering as a tool for military recruitment, census taking, and tax collection^[4].

Standardization eventually followed to support the expanding postal system and emergency services, making locations legible to the state^[2][4]. This shift transformed citizens into identifiable data points, prioritizing bureaucratic efficiency and public safety over the older, personalized methods of identification^[4].