Urban decay and renewal in Cincinnati

Urban decay is the popular term for both the physical and social degeneration of cities and large towns. It is characterised by depopulation, property abandonment, high unemployment,fragmented families, political disenfranchisement, crime, and a desolate and unfriendly urban landscape. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1510 KB) Urban blight and urban renewal in Cincinnati. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1510 KB) Urban blight and urban renewal in Cincinnati. ... Cincinnati, Ohio viewed from the SW, across the Ohio River from Kentucky. ...

Urban decay is associated with Western cities, especially those in Europe and North America, and during the 1970s and 1980s when major changes in their economies created conditions that favored urban decay. The European and North American experiences of Urban Decay have been very different. Although not uniquely a western experience, the effects run counter to the experiences of most cities in the less developed world where slums are usually located on the outskirts of cities. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows his find. ...

There is no single cause of urban decay, which is usually triggered by a combination of inter-related factors affecting the urban environment. Some of the most commonly cited elements encouraging urban decay are declining environmental and health conditions of the inner city, poor urban planning, the development of freeways, real-estate speculation, disruptive financial impacts, rising crime rates and racial discrimination. Modern urban decay and suburbanisation are closely related. An ecosystem, a contraction of ecological and system, refers to the collection of components and processes that comprise, and govern the behavior of, some defined subset of the biosphere. ... Urban planning is concerned with the ordering and design of settlements, from the smallest towns to the worlds largest cities. ... A freeway is a type of highway that is designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections. ... Real estate or immovable property is a legal term (in some jurisdictions) that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. ... Speculation involves the buying, holding, and selling of stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, collectibles, real estate, derivatives or any valuable financial instrument to profit from fluctuations in its price as opposed to buying it for use or for income via methods such as dividends or interest. ... An African-American drinks out of a water fountain marked for colored in 1939 at a street car terminal in Oklahoma City. ... Suburbanization is a term used by many to describe the current residential living situation in the United States, and it is related to the phenomenon of urban sprawl. ...

Background

Since antiquity people have chosen to live in more or less urbanized cities. ^{[citation needed]} Generally the incentives to live in such a close and densely populated environments has been based on financial, social, religious or cultural activities. Urban areas allow for economical use of infrastructure such as common plumbing and sewage (and in modern times communications and electricity), which may not have been viable to provide in rural areas. Urban areas were primarily seen as offering education and financial betterment as they served as the central places for trade of products and labour. Urban places were further held together by an inherent desire of people to form societies and establish social relations with other people based on cultural, religious and other convictions. Traditionally, urban space usually had very little large scale manufacturing. This article is about the Brazilian state, São Paulo. ... A plumber wrench for working on pipes and fittings Plumbing, from the Latin for lead (plumbum), is the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures for potable water systems and the drainage of waste. ... Sewage is the liquid water produced by human society which typically contains washing water, laundry waste, faeces, urine and other liquid or semi-liquid wastes. ... The term communications is used in a number of disciplines: Communications, also known as communication studies is the academic discipline which studies communication, generally seen as a mixture between media studies and linguistics. ... Lightning strikes during a night-time thunderstorm. ...

With the advent of Industrial Revolution, the main motivation for people to move from the countryside into town was to find employment in the manufacturing sector. Since industrial manufacturing is a centralised activity, it further created conditions that favoured large numbers of people to concentrate in urban areas. A Watt steam engine in Madrid. ...

Industrial manufacturing and failure of city planning to keep up with the sudden changes during the late 19th and first part of the 20th century contributed to poor and unhealthy urban environment. The population of cities increased dramatically and the infrastructure that was in place could not handle such demand. Following World War I and World War II, cities were also financially broken while they became targets of real-estate speculators and entrepreneurs.^{[verification needed]} Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Franz... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead...

Improvements in transportation (specifically the private motor car) and communications eliminated much of the cities' advantages. With the end of World War II in particular many political decisions were employed that favored suburban development that further encouraged suburbanisation. Such decisions have drawn the financial resources from the cities in favour of providing infrastructure for remote suburban areas. Racial discrimination, in this context known as "White Flight" in the United States, also played a part, as many chose to abandon cities and take part in an urban sprawl. An African-American drinks out of a water fountain marked for colored in 1939 at a street car terminal in Oklahoma City. ... White flight is a colloquial term for the demographic trend of upper and middle class Americans (predominantly white) moving away from inner cities (predominantly non-white), finding new homes in nearby suburbs or even moving to new locales entirely. ... Urban sprawl (also: suburban sprawl), a term with pejorative implication, refers to the unplanned, rapid and expansive growth of a greater metropolitan area, traditionally suburbs (or exurbs) over a large area. ...

Urban sprawl in Cincinnati

Since World War Two, Western economies have became less focused on manufacturing. During the change from a manufacturing to a service-based economy, the need for centralisation, and thus cities, has been reduced somewhat. Jobs no longer had to be centralised, and private motor transportation was growing in availability. Even for manufacturing workers, the process of suburbanisation was attractive because it allowed workers work at their factories, while commuting between their place of work and their larger suburban homes. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1569 KB) Summary Tract housing near Union, Kentucky from the air. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1569 KB) Summary Tract housing near Union, Kentucky from the air. ... Manufacturing, a branch of industry which accounts for about one-quarter of the worlds economic activity, is the application of tools and a processing medium to the transformation of raw materials into finished goods for sale. ...

In the United States, the federal government under President Dwight D. Eisenhower aided this movement by building the interstate highway system. In North America this shift has manifested itself in strip malls, suburban retail and employment centers, and very low-density housing estates. Large areas of many northern cities in the United States have experienced population decreases and a degradation of urban areas.^{[verification needed]} Inner-city property values declined and economically disadvantaged populations moved in.^{[verification needed]} In the U.S., the new inner-city poor were often black African-Americans who were migrating from the deep south. As they moved into traditional white European-American neighborhoods, ethnic frictions served to accelerate flight to the suburbs.^{[verification needed]} This page is about Dwight D. Eisenhower. ... The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System, is a network of freeways (also called expressways) in the United States. ...

In Western Europe the experience differs in that the effect was often unknowingly assisted by public sector policies designed to clear 18th and 19th century slum areas and movements of people out into state subsidised lower density suburban housing. A common understanding of Western Europe in modern times. ...

On continental Europe and Oceania the historical core of major cities usually remains relatively affluent; it is generally the inner city districts and the edge of town suburbs made up of single-class state subsidised housing (such as the French 'cités' and British 'Council Estates' which suffer the worst decay and blight. Simple economies of land mean that extremely low density housing in Europe is not practical due to higher population densities.

Effects

The most visible effect of urban decay is the degradation of urban areas, the abandonment of buildings, and neglect of reconstructing buildings damaged by fire, etc. Graffiti, litter, and squatting of properties is common. These perceptible effects are the symptoms of greatly reduced property values and encourage population loss. Urban decay and its effects were immortalized in the 1980s' popular culture, especially in the films of the time. For other uses, see Graffiti (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Squatting (pastoral). ... Film may refer to: photographic film a motion picture in academics, the study of motion pictures as an art form a thin skin or membrane, or any covering or coating, whether transparent or opaque a thin layer of liquid, either on a solid or liquid surface or free-standing Film...

Examples of decay

The car manufacturing sector was the base for Detroit's prosperity and employed the majority of its residents. When this industry began relocating outside of the city, it experienced population loss with associated urban decay, particularly after the 1967 riots. In 1950 the city's population was, according to US census, around 1.85 million; by 2003 this had declined to 911,000, a loss of nearly 940,000 people (52%). Car redirects here. ... Nickname: Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates: Country United States State Michigan County Wayne County Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Area    - City 370. ... The riot featured on the cover of the August 4, 1967 edition of Time Magazine. ...

Britain experienced severe urban decay in the 1970s and 1980s. Major cities like Glasgow in Scotland, the towns of the South Wales valleys, and the major English cities like Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, and the East of London all experienced population decreases with very large areas of 19th-century housing experiencing market price collapse. For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... Manchester is a major city and metropolitan borough within Greater Manchester in North West England. ... This article is about the city in England. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Large French cities are often surrounded by decayed areas. While the city center tends to be occupied mostly by middle- as well as upper-class residents, the city is often surrounded by very large mid to high-rise housing projects. The concentration of poverty and crime radiating from the developments often cause the entire suburb to fall into a state of urban decay as more affluent citizens seek housing in the city, or further out in semi-rural areas. In early November 2005, the decaying northern suburbs of Paris were the scene of severe riots sparked in part by the substandard living conditions in public housing projects. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Remedy

The main responses to urban decay have been through positive public intervention and policy, through a plethora of initiatives, funding streams, and agencies, using the principles of New Urbanism (or through Urban Renaissance as its UK / European equivalent). The importance of gentrification should not be underestimated and remains the primary means of a 'natural' remedy. New urbanism is an urban design movement whose popularity increased from the beginning of the 1980s onwards. ... Urban Renaissance is a term used to describe the recent period of repopulation and regeneration of many British cities, including, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, and parts of London after a period of suburbanisation during the mid-20th century. ... The Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco was once the site of a double-decker freeway with cardboard boxes housing the homeless underneath. ...

In the United States, government policies included funding of "urban renewal" projects, and building of large scale housing projects for the poor. Urban renewal projects involved demolishing entire neighbourhoods. Housing projects became crime infested mistakes. ^{[citation needed]} These government efforts are generally thought now to have been misguided. ^{[citation needed]} Cities rebounded in spite of these policy mistakes for multiple reasons one of which is that the affluent grew weary of the boring suburbs and moved back to the city for its entertainment value.^{[verification needed]}

In Western Europe where land is much less in supply and urban areas are generally recognised as the drivers of the new information and service economies, urban regeneration has become a quasi industry in itself, with hundreds of agencies and charities set up to tackle the issue. European cities have the benefit of historical organic development patterns already concurrent to the New Urbanist model, and although derelict, most cities have attractive historical quarters and buildings ripe for redevelopment. In the suburban estates and cités the solution is often more drastic with 1960/70 state housing projects being totally demolished and rebuilt in a more traditional European urban style, with a mix of housing, types, sizes, prices, and tenures. One of the best examples of this is in Hulme, Manchester, which was cleared of 19th century housing in the 1950's to make way for a large estate of high-rise flats. During the 1990's it was cleared again to make way for new development built along new urbanist lines. The area is held up as an excellent example of Urban Renaissance. Urban regeneration (also called urban renewal in American English) is a movement in urban planning that reached its peak in the United States from the late 1940s through the early 1970s. ... This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ... Manchester is a major city and metropolitan borough within Greater Manchester in North West England. ...

Urban Renaissance

Most British (and American) cities are promoting what has been termed 'Urban Renaissance'. Injections of European Union and United Kingdom funds have in many cases kick-started regeneration through improvements in the urban environment and state assistance in land reclamation Urban Renaissance is a term used to describe the recent period of repopulation and regeneration of many British cities, including, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, and parts of London after a period of suburbanisation during the mid-20th century. ... Land reclamation is either of two distinct practices. ...

Often, 17th and 18th-century canals and docks are redeveloped to create expensive modern inner city flats, and old railway yards and derelict industrial sites have been regenerated by 'Urban Renewal Companies' and 'Regional Development Agencies' to provide mixed use developments with public art and high-quality streetscapes. Derelict but attractive historical buildings are often converted into residential or commercial premises (dubbed "loft apartments" in the US) with generous grants or tax relief. Loft apartments are apartments that are generally built into former industrial buildings. ...

Efforts to revitalise urban areas often involve ideas of downtown/city centre as an art and cultural hub or arts district, somewhat akin to Richard Florida's concept of making the urban core friendly to the Creative Class. City leaders may promote events such as First Friday art walks and the construction of convention centers and theatres in order to attract visitors who live in suburbs. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Central business district. ... City Centre is a Local Government ward in the City of Manchester. ... Arts District may mean: Arts District of Dallas, Texas. ... Richard Florida (1957, Newark NJ) is an American sociologist and economist. ... The creative class is a group of people that Carnegie Mellon University social scientist Richard Florida believes are a key driving force for economic development of post-industrial cities in the USA. The Creative Class concept is controversial, as is Floridas methodology. ... First Friday is a city-wide public event that occurs on the first friday of every month. ... Metro Toronto Convention Centre, late 2004. ... Serge Sudeikins poster for the Bat Theatre (1922). ...

Most cities in Britain have been successful in encouraging people back into city centers, though this has sometimes proved difficult. Most practitioners would agree that Britain's city centres have turned a corner, although some inner cities around the Central Business Districts and lower-density suburban areas continue to suffer from blight and urban decay. A Central business district (CBD) or downtown is a commercial heart of a city. ...

See also

• White Flight
• Gentrification
• First Friday
• Planned shrinkage

White flight is a colloquial term for the demographic trend of upper and middle class Americans (predominantly white) moving away from inner cities (predominantly non-white), finding new homes in nearby suburbs or even moving to new locales entirely. ... The Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco was once the site of a double-decker freeway with cardboard boxes housing the homeless underneath. ... First Friday is a city-wide public event that occurs on the first friday of every month. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

External links

• Urban decay: barricading our cities, and our minds Art and politics site discussing Urban decay
• Towards a Strong Urban Renaissance' UK Government's 'Urban task Force' report
• U.S based 'Urban Renaissance Institute'
• Website with pictures of Urban Decay