Urban Problems

Problems Poverty Crime Homelessness

Detroit 1968 Source: Yahoo Picture Gallery [www.yahoo.com]

Created by JDG 2000

Problems
OF v. IN Cities
OF=Urban Only
physical, demographic, cultural, or economic problems that are altered or amplified in an urban spatial context

IN=Entire Society
any of the above experienced throughout society most problems in urban areas are associated with social/economic transitions

Created by JDG 2000

Problems
OF cities related to early writings on urbanism
urban ecology school

IN cities more often associated with structural explanations of urbanization As Knox notes, all problems are BOTH
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Problems
Perception & Social Construction
IS there a problem? WHOs problem is it? WHY does it matter?

LA 1992 Source: Yahoo Picture Gallery [www.yahoo.com]

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Problems
Change over time Historical Context
transitional industrial port-industrial/post-suburban

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Problems
Transitional Cities
agglomeration, localization & spatial division of labor
proximity inequality
slums

density conflict social disorganization & deviant behavior

moral decay?
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Problems
Industrial City
Suburbanization key agent of change slum transformed into ethnic ghetto
conceptualized as transitional spaces

deviant behavior replaced by organized crime aging center cities & core infrastructures
blight issues urban renewal?

Created by JDG 2000

Problems
Post-Industrial/Post-Suburban
de-industrialization & major unemployment economic costs of urbanization? housing taxation & service delivery spatial division of labor altered female labor force participation implications for family/social order? ghettos become poverty areas Quality of Life
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Poverty
Poverty refers to a complex set of factors
low income poor diets little or no access to health care toxic environments (i.e., environmental justice issues) combined political, economic, & social disadvantaged

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Poverty
A function of three inter-related concerns
competitive distribution of wealth spatially uneven distribution of opportunities & goods between places & groups of people institutional issues (housing markets, limited participation in the political process)

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Poverty
Types of Poverty Spaces
ghetto: ethnic or racial implications slums: economic poverty areas: planning/policy efforts

The spatial distribution of poverty spaces is closely related to housing/neighborhood decay spiral of neighborhood decay
describes are poverty areas

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Slums: Spatial Division of Labor & Demographic Change

Sao Paolo Slum Source: unknown

Circa 1870s Dublin Source: Unknown

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Ghetto: Towards a Culture of Poverty

E. St. Louis School from www.american-pictures.com From http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~dcox

Created by JDG 2000

Poverty
Cycle of Poverty
recognition that the spiral of poverty reproduces the material conditions of poverty associated with slums & ghettos

Culture of Poverty
the creation specific reinforcing and specialized structures or social attributes withdrawn, suspect, internalized social order Associated most closely with ghettos

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Poverty
Poverty Areas
Census designation of contiguous census tracts with >=20% of residents below the poverty line Intensification of poverty areas a more affluent individuals leave poverty areas

Urban Under-Class
A Spatial Mismatch between jobs and people caused by suburbanization of services

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Poverty
Castells Dual City
recognition that excluded and included spaces exist recognition that informal and formal economies are spatialized in urban areas

From http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~dcox
Created by JDG 2000

Crime
Since the transitional city, sociologist have asserted urban crime (or deviancy) was unique To explain the linkage between urban structure & crime four frames have been used:
Economic Effects Social Disorganization Demographic Effects Lifestyles & Routines

Created by JDG 2000

Crime
Economic
the development of a culture of poverty that embraces a violence as symbol of identity economic marginalization leads to anger & resentment as motivation for crime & violence limited inter- and intra-group interaction undermines the development of formal & informal mechanisms of control

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Crime
Social Disorganization
rapid population turnover leads to unstable social structures increased diversity associated with ecological change promote additional instability
neighborhood upgrading of more affluent residents

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Crime
Demographic
peaks in late-teens and twenties

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Crime
Lifestyle & Routine
time-space routines are important
absence of protectors motivated offender suitable target

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Crime
Spatial Patterns in Urban Areas
classic distance decay Offender Residences Occurrence Patterns Type of Offense Varies Across Cities most violent through property crimes

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Homelessness
Old Homelessness
economic dislocation (i.e., economic cycles) temporary concentrated in skid-row mostly white men less than 30% non-white

New Homelessness
severe economic dislocation (i.e., structural) increasingly women & children less concentrated skid rows planned out of existence increasingly composed of African-Americans 50-75% in most cities mental & physical health issues systematic de-institutionalization
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Homelessness

Homeless person on Wall St. NYC Source: www.american-pictures.com

Created by JDG 2000

Homelessness
Contemporary Causes
socio-spatial fragmentation gentrification, income polarization, etc... government policies shift tax burden to working poor & decrease welfare spending unemployment & flexible labor strategies de-institutionalization urban renewal Aging immigration changing household structures divorce

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 Structural Issues with clear cosmetic indicators

James Q. Wilsons Broken Windows

Source: Yahoo Picture Gallery [www.yahoo.com]

Created by JDG 2000