Key Issue 3: Why do Inner Cities have Distinctive Problems?

• I. Inner-city physical problems• A. Deterioration process• B. Urban renewal

• II. Inner-city social problems• A. Underclass• B. Culture of poverty

• III. Inner-city economic problems• Lack of money and services

Inner City Physical Problems

• Major: poor housing conditions• 1. Process of deterioration• 2. What is filtering?• Process of dividing large houses into several

dwellings for lower-income residents.• Owners try to collect rent…• Repairs on home outprice the rent…• Owners abandon the property.

• 3.Redlining

• 4. Public Housing

• 5. Urban Renewal

• 6. Gentrification

Inner City Social Problems

• Culture of Poverty

• underclass

• lack of job skills

• homelessness

• Crime

• Segregation – Racial and Ethnic

Dayton, Ohio -- Inner City

Fig. 13-17: Drug-related arrests (left) have been concentrated in the inner-west side of the city. In the 2001 mayoral election, votes for Rhine McLin concentrated in the African-American section of the city.

Inner City Economic Problems

• Lack of money for services

• Annexation

Annexation

• Legally adding land to a city

• Historically small communities surrounding a city wanted to be annexed

• (access to services)

• Today many small jurisdictions prefer to remain apart from the city

• (city taxes are high)

Pflugerville Annexations

HHS

Black Hawk

HEB

Steeds Crossing

Bohl’s Place

Gatlinburg

Growth of Chicago

Fig. 13-18: Chicago grew rapidly in the 19th century through annexation. In the 20th century the major annexation was for O’Hare Airport.

Highest density Highest density of student of student housinghousing

- Single-family homes divided into apartments

- Increasingly marked by mixed use apartment complexes

This section of Guadalupe St. is known as “the Drag” What type of businesses occupy the lower levels of these buildings?

KI 4: Problems of the ‘burbs• The peripheral model

• Density gradient• Cost of suburban sprawl• Suburban segregation

• Transportation and suburbanization• Motor vehicles• Public transportation

• Local government fragmentation• Metropolitan government• Growing smart

Peripheral Model of Urban Areas

Fig. 13-19: The central city is surrounded by a ring road, around which are suburban areas and edge cities, shopping malls, office parks, industrial areas, and service complexes.

• Density Gradient

• Shows that the number of houses per land unit diminishes as distance from CBD increases.

Levittown PA

Density Gradient also changes over time…

Cleveland, Ohio, 1900–1990

Fig. 13-20: The density gradient in Cleveland shows the expansion of dense population outward from the city center over time. In 1990, population dispersed over a wider area with less variation in density than before.

What is sprawl?

• Progressive spread of development over landscapes.

• Differs in US and Europe

• UK incorporates greenbelts

Suburban Development in the U.S. and U.K.

Fig. 13-21: New housing in the U.K. is likely to be in planned new towns, while in the U.S. growth occurs in discontinuous developments.

Suburban Segregation-

• Historically it was more vertical separation

• poor people in upper floors/attics and basements

• wealthier on ground floors• Once people spread out more into suburbs

—more separation by class, race and lifestyle

Transportation and Suburbanization

• Suburbs only exist because of advances in transportation.

• Cities crowded because everyone had to walk.

• Railroads and later subways gave some people access to commute.

• Streetcar suburbs built in 19th century.

Streetcar suburb in Philidelphia

Motor Vehicles

• Suburban explosion of 20th century result of availability of cars and trucks.

• 95% of all trips within US cities now down by car.• US government encouraged this by providing 90% cost

of US highway system.• Lower fuel prices than other parts of world.• ¼ land is roads in cities/suburbs• 1/3 high priced land in CBD’s parking lots and roads.

Public Transportation

• Most commuters use public transportation in and out of CBD’s during rush hour.

• Early 20th century– US had 30,000 miles of railways and trolleys for commuters.

• Today- only a few hundred miles remain.• Why? • GM (General Motors)

• GM bought streetcar companies and replaced them with buses.

• More flexible service.

• Buses declining in most US cities today.

Something that’s increasing??

• Rapid Transit lines.

• Fixed heavy rail (subways)Fixed light rail

• Los Angeles, San Diego, Buffalo, Baltimore, Austin

Public transportation outside of USA

• Extensive networks in Western Europe and Japan

• Still new construction and improvements.

• Small cities booming with construction of transportation– subways, high speed rail

Public Transport in Brussels

Fig. 13-22: Brussels illustrates the integration of heavy rail and light rail in public transport.

Local Government Fragmentation• example of Long Island, New York• Size: 90 miles• 800 local governments• 2 counties• 13 towns• 95 villages• 127 school districts• 500 special districts (garbage collection, etc)•

What is Smart Growth??

• Goal: stop or curb sprawl, reduce traffic congestion, reverse inner city decline.

• Develop, but also protect rural land and wildlife.

• Legislation and regulations help this preservation.

Arlington, Virginia enacted several smart growth laws to protect land and wildlife.