Urban Patterns

Urban Patterns Inner City Social Issues

Inner Cities Face Distinctive Challenges Most significant = deteriorating housing Filtering subdividing larger homes into small apts. successive waves of immigrants, minority groups, powerless absentee landlords neglect buildings and they fall into disrepair abandoned when real estate taxes/upkeep > rents received Redlining (review definition) banks refuse to loan money in certain areas now illegal but difficult to enforce (they can find “other” reasons) poorer/ “riskier” areas unable to gets loans to maintain buildings White flight middle class takes their $ to the suburbs Often the result of blockbusting (review definition) Unscrupulous real estate practice intended to scare white homeowners about “pending” racial/ethnic change Impact of the 2008 recession (housing market collapse) Foreclosure (bank seizes home for non payment of mortgage) “under water” (mortgage higher than home value → walk away) Eroding tax base cities have to either reduce services or raise taxes

2000 – 2010 Chicago lost 200,000 African Americans Mostly aged 1 – 10 and 31 – 40. Who are they? Families (Middle Class?) with children

Inner City Challenges Social issues The underclass people caught in an unending cycle of social and economic issues homelessness culture (or cycle) of poverty

Inner City Challenges Social issues The underclass people caught in an unending cycle of social and economic issues homelessness culture (or cycle) of poverty poverty leads to behavior which reinforces or continues poverty out-of-wedlock children/absentee fathers → govt. dependence ghettoized “often isolated from positive influences” gangs, violence, crime, drugs frequent incarceration, recidivism political debate on how to solve social problems Economic development? Education? Better moral instruction (religion/adult role models)???

Facing Challenges? Economic Education TIF districts (part of real estate taxes are taken from budget to help with economic development) Diverts money from other public services Garbage collection, libraries, schools, police TIFS are most effective in already wealthy areas (the Loop). Viewed as a give away to already successful businesses. Controlled by aldermen, the mayor (ahem, cough, cough!) Education Charter schools (public schools run by private organizations) Allows parents choice on where to send kids to school Avoid problems of local schools (violence, gangs, etc.) Break cycle of poverty Successful? Test scores mixed yet …. exclude difficult students, English Language Learners, SPED Public $$$$ funneled into admin. costs, private accounts NEOLIBERALISM = privatization!!!!

Facing Housing Challenges? Urban renewal (government intervention) Govt. removes blight → gives to developers/public agencies

Facing Housing Challenges? Urban renewal (government intervention) Govt. removes blight → gives to developers/public agencies Public housing (1950s/1960s = Cabrini-Green, Robt. Taylor Homes)

Facing Housing Challenges? Urban renewal (government intervention) Govt. removes blight → gives to developers/public agencies Public housing (1950s/1960s = Cabrini-Green, Robt. Taylor Homes) results in concentrated poverty, segregation, isolation and ghettoization Lack of pride in ownership falls into disrepair (ex. broken elevators), become crime-ridden mostly demolished since 1990s

Where have the residents of demolished public housing gone?

Facing Housing Challenges? Urban renewal (government intervention) Govt. removes blight → gives to developers/public agencies Public housing (1950s/1960s = Cabrini-Green, Robt. Taylor Homes) results in concentrated poverty, segregation/isolation and ghettoization Lack of pride in ownership falls into disrepair (ex. broken elevators), become crime-ridden mostly demolished since 1990s TODAY: 125,000 people on waiting list for CHA $500 million surplus on books See the system in action! What will happen with Lathrop Homes? Developers are thirsty for this valuable property! NEOLIBERAL privatization!

Lathrop Homes

Lathrop Homes

Facing Housing Challenges? Gentrification (market intervention) Middle-class/wealthy move into inner city, why? Renovate vintage housing proximity/access to CBD = work/cultural activities singles or couples w/out children = don’t care about schools Results? Crime ↘, property values ↗, what could possibly be the problem? Poor are displaced, ethnic patterns altered Rents and other prices/services become too expensive! Driven from areas they lived in for years (elderly on fixed inc.) Pushed from amenities (rapid transit, areas w/access to jobs) Pushed into ghettoized areas (cycle of poverty, underperforming schools, food deserts, etc.)

What other pattern can you identify from these maps What other pattern can you identify from these maps? Connect this to other units!