Cities and population in America

§1 Chicago: an American city

The spatial layout of Chicago
 Chicago is a metropolis that lies on
Lake Michigan in the north-east
of the US.
• 2.9 million people live in the city
• Almost 10 million live in the agglomeration
 including the suburbs.
 An American city consists of
3 parts:
1. the city centre (downtown)
2. the central city (municipality of Chicago)
3. a large ring of suburbs
 §1 Chicago: an American city
Downtown Chicago
 No historic city centre, but a ‘chequerboard’ of
long, wide, straight streets.
• Downtown Chicago:
- many skyscrapers
- offices, hotels, shops
- central business district (CBD)
 §1 Chicago: an American city
Central city

 The central city consists of two parts:

1. Rich neighbourhoods: prosperous, low

unemployment
- in the north  Anglo-Americans

2. Poor neighbourhoods: not prosperous, high

unemployment
- in the south  Afro-Americans
- in the west  Hispanics

• Ethnic neighbourhoods  most residents from a

specific population group
 §1 Chicago: an American city
 Characteristics of ethnic neighbourhoods:
• ghettos:
- low-rise buildings  slums
- poor quality of life
- unemployment
- unsafe
• Some ethnic neighbourhoods - higher scores.
 §1 Chicago: an American city
Ring of suburbs
 Prosperous Chicagoans live in the suburbs.
• Mainly Anglo-Americans, but now other population groups too.
• Detached homes  low housing density.

• Urban sprawl
 expanded metropolitan region, consequence of greater mobility.

• In this metropolitan region there are edge cities with:

- offices
- malls
- huge parking lots.
 §2 Chicago: a changing city
Growth of the suburbs

 The suburbs of Chicago have grown at the expense of the central city
and downtown.

• Central city:
- selective migration of affluent, white residents
- poorer population groups left behind
 ethnic neighbourhoods in poor city centre, rich, white people in
suburbs

• Downtown:
- factories, offices and amenities also moved out
- centre became deserted and rundown
 §2 Chicago: a changing city
The return of the city

 In the past 25 years the city has again become popular among young,
high-earners  re-urbanization. new (costly) homes

• Urban renewal downtown: more residents

new projects (see

photos) new amenities, such as
shops and restaurants
 §2 Chicago: a changing city
Upgraded neighbourhoods
 Districts around downtown are also changing fast because of gentrification.
• How gentrification works:
1. Rich people buy rundown houses in
poorer neighbourhoods.

2. They upgrade them (renovation)

or build new ones.
3. House prices rise.
4. The original residents cannot
afford them and move elsewhere.
5. New amenities arrive.
 §2 Chicago: a changing city
Upgraded neighbourhoods
 Districts around downtown are also changing
fast because of gentrification.

• Positive aspects of gentrification:

+ more mixed neighbourhoods
+ better quality of life
• Negative aspects of gentrification:
- poorer residents ‘driven’ from their
neighbourhood
- tension between old and new residents

 Think of a connection between gentrification in

one neighbourhood and deterioration in another.
 §3 America’s melting pot
Regions of origin

 What has happened to the different population groups in the US?

1. Anglo-Americans:
- 2 out of every 3 Americans (200 million)
- European roots
- spread across the US.

2. Afro-Americans:
- 40 million blacks
- descended from African slaves
- first on cotton and tobacco plantations,
later in industrial cities
 §3 America’s melting pot
Regions of origin

 What has happened to the different population groups in the US?

3. Hispanics:
- 50 million Latin-Americans
- low-skilled migrant workers
- along the Mexican border and
in the big cities

4. Asians:
- < 20 million with Asian roots
- highly-skilled migrant workers
- California and the big cities
- model minority
§3 America’s melting pot
 §3 America’s melting pot
Melting pot
 The melting pot has resulted in a special American culture  freedom and
the American Dream
• Northern and Western Europeans  assimilation
• Eastern and Southern Europeans  ethnic neighbourhoods  assimilation
• Middle East, Mexico, India  ethnic neighbourhoods  ?
 §3 America’s melting pot
Melting pot

 The culture of the home country is very important to the last group of
immigrants: language, own products, family reunification.
 §3 America’s melting pot
Diversity explosion
 The population composition in the US is changing fast through immigration.
• US  multicultural society
• Young migrants  less dejuvenation / population ageing
• Labour force of the future
 §4 Sources: Migration in the US
Source 1 Manufacturing belt
 Characteristics of the north-east of the US:
- densely populated
- snowbelt / frostbelt
- previously: heavy industry  low-wage countries
- now: high-tech industry and service sector
 §4 Sources: Migration in the US
Source 3 Sunbelt
 Characteristics of the south and west of the US:
- sunny  sunbelt
- modern businesses in light industry and service sector
- footloose  attractive environment and climate
- tech hubs such as Silicon Valley
- cheap labour  maquiladoras  assembly
 §4 Sources: Migration in the US
Source 4 Internal and external migration
 §4 Sources: Migration in the US
Source 5 Three Americas

 You can divide the US melting pot into three parts:

1 Melting pot / gateway states

 many immigrants enter the country
here.

2 New sunbelt states

 Many internal and external migrants
settle here.

3 Other states

 demographic centre of gravity shifting to the south-west

 §4 Sources: Migration in the US
Source 6 Black and White flight

• White flight :
- wealthy Anglo-American families
- from: busy cities in the melting pot
- to: new sunbelt states

• Black flight :
- Afro-Americans
- from: poor neighbourhoods in
central cities
- to: suburbs or south-east
 Zoom in Los Angeles: movie city
 Find the differences between neighbourhoods in Los Angeles.