For decades, America has been the fastest growing economy country in the world, and Detroit was one of the most leading populous city in the United States. Back in 1930, Detroit was the fastest growing city, but now is the fastest shrinking city with more than 100, 000 abandoned homes (Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady). Similarly, Bay Area economy was the envy of the nation with high employment rates and GDP growth like Detroit in the 1930s, and is currently suffering from losing jobs, residents, and status. Both Detroit and the Bay Area are single resource-based industries - where Detroit is manufacturing dominated, and Bay Area is high technology dominated. However, the Bay Area will not go bankrupt and become a ghost town in fifty years, because its high diversities in the economic opportunities are attracting people to stay and work here. High educated and talented people is the fundamental for the economic development in the cities. In Detroit, many workers in the car industries are either unskilled or low skilled workers with only high school diplomas simply because of those works do not need special talents or skills in order to have the work done. Due to the division of labor, large jobs are breaking down into many tiny components. “Under this regime each worker becomes an expert in one isolated area of production, thus increasing his efficiency” (Adam Smith). Detroit was not creating suitable jobs for high educated or professional people to work there; therefore, it caused the brain drain. Brain drain by definition means “the departure of educated or professional people from one country, economic sector, or field for another usually for better pay or living conditions (Merriam Webster Dictionary). This means that high skil... ... middle of paper ... ...cars. According to Nancy Andrews, Christopher Kirkpatrick, and Eric Millikin, “Detroit went on a binge starting around 2000 to close budget holes and to build infrastructure, more than doubling debt to $8 billion by 2012.” Detroit was borrowing money to build these infrastructures that are not capable of doing other things except to build cars; therefore, when other countries cars has found out other ways to make cheap cars and to sell their cars for a cheaper price, Detroit cannot lower their cars’ prices due to their loans for building the infrastructures. However, the Bay Area will not go bankrupt because it is not in debt. In contrast, the Bay Area is gaining a revenue, which the grand total revenue is $6670.6 millions in the year of 2013. In addition, the Bay Area is planning to gain a revenue of $276.92 billions in next twenty eight years (Plan Bay Area).
San Francisco would arise into the “importer, the banker, the market” and the “great financial and commercial centre of all the Pacific coasts and countries” (300). Trade opportunities with other countries would be created and an increase in economic success would surface. Although there are many benefits, there are also some major drawbacks with the arrival of the railroad. George says, the state of California has a chance to grow rapidly, however the “aggregated population and wealth of the State will diminish rather than increase” (298). In spite of the new era being greater, richer and more powerful than the California in the past, some major economic transformations would be seen in the state. In the past, California did not have a rich class, nor a poor class. “With the expansion of the railroad, the State will become a better system for some social classes than it was in the past, but it will also be far worse for others.” ( ). People who are rich would become wealthier, while poorer people would have a harder time acquiring wealth. For instance, those who already own land, business, etc., will become richer. While people with their own labor, will become poorer and find it harder
... motivation for wealthy individuals to return to the inner-city core but it also provides impetus for commercial and retail mixed-use to follow, increasing local revenue for cities (Duany, 2001). Proponents of gentrification profess that this increase in municipal revenue from sales and property taxes allows for the funding of city improvements, in the form of job opportunities, improved schools and parks, retail markets and increased sense of security and safety ((Davidson (2009), Ellen & O’Reagan (2007), Formoso et. al (2010)). Due to the increase in housing and private rental prices and the general decrease of the affordable housing stock in gentrifying areas, financially-precarious communities such as the elderly, female-headed households, and blue-collar workers can no longer afford to live in newly developed spaces ((Schill & Nathan (1983), Atkinson, (2000)).
This paper will discuss the many unique aspects of Oakland, California. Divided into five major parts, Oakland is a very diverse city. The five major parts include: Downtown Oakland which is located in the heart of the city, East Oakland which consists of the majority of the city, West Oakland, North Oakland, and the Oakland hills where the terrain is quite different from other parts of the city. While many may perceive the population to mainly consist of African Americans and Whites, there is a significant growing population of Latinos, and Asians. The topics covered in this paper will shed light on the city of Oakland itself, and discuss the unique city that it is. I will also give my personal experience and perception on the city, after living there for 16 years of my life.
We have seen a constant change of our environment afflicted by the human, nature and nurture influence, creating and reinventing what we know of a culture, city and society. San Francisco, a city of multi-diverse neighborhoods of highly trending culture, commerce, fashion and finance, has been immensely affected by it; seeing a consistent development before and after the 1906 earthquake which destroyed over 80% of San Francisco. The earthquake and the subsequent fires, one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States, took from the people of the Bay Area their houses and families, leaving roughly 3000 deaths and at least 270,000 people homeless. Nonetheless, this mayor disaster also gave the opportunity for a rebuild
Gilded age San Francisco stood as a beacon for travelers bound for the western coast of the United States. The most prominent city in the developing west during the latter parts of the nineteenth century and the opening of the twentieth, San Francisco encompassed a range of conflicting identities. This time period marked a transitory stage in the development of San Francisco, evolving from a booming “frontier town” to a “civilized metropolis,” the emerging San Franciscan identity retained qualities from both poles of this spectrum. Chinatown, existing as a city within the city, shared this relationship of extremes with San Francisco. To travelers visiting San Francisco, Chinatown was a necessary stop. The writings in travelogues published during this period describe Chinatown through a mix of revulsion and curiosity, its inhabitants virtuous and sub-human. In short, within the developing city of San Francisco, an expedition into Chinatown remained a visceral exploration of a foreign and exciting environment.
This article is about the city of Camden and how they went from being a thriving city to a city that is now in economic crisis. The city has a population of 70,390 and is the poorest city in the nation (16). Camden has an unemployment rate of 30-40% and has an average household income of 24,600 (16). In the past Camden was an industrial giant with several large companies like Campbell’s soup and RCA having factories there, which employed 36,000 people (17). Closing of the factories is one of the main reasons for Camden Counties' high unemployment rate. Over the past few years Camden has been forced to make “$28 million in draconian budget cuts, with officials talking about cutting 25 percent from every department, including layoffs of nearly half the police force” (16). With the lack of funds the counties education system is beginning to suffer with them having to cut the library rate by 2/3, now they have a“70 percent high school dropout rate, with only 13 percent of students managing to pass the state’s proficiency exams in math” (16).With all of the empty factories, empty houses, and vacant lots Camden is beginning to become a very unappealing and unhappy place to live.
The spatial isolation present in Detroit deepened anti-integration sentiment, and the resulting shift of whites out of the Rust Belt led to conditions conducive to deindustrialization. However, Sugrue notes that “[racial prejudices] are the result of the actions of federal and local governments, real estate agents, individual home buyers and sellers, and community organizations” (11). That is to say white flight is a phenomenon dependent on political climate rather than being an entirely intrinsic, prejudiced practice of whites. This is an important distinction to make, as it helps reinforce the idea that systems such as poverty and racism are exactly that—systems, and not a result of individual immorality. The same can be said for the urban crisis in Detroit: as opposed to being purely an issue of deindustrialization or poverty, Sugrue argues that the circumstances of Detroit may be in part an institutional problem. “The shape of the postwar city, I contend, is the result of political and economic decisions, of choices made and not made by various institutions, groups and
This housing affordability crisis is stripping away it’s diversity at increasing rates and I feel that not enough is being done to restore it. Liz Pfeffer article “Is the Bay Area in a Housing Bubble or a Crisis?” describes the situation as, “San Francisco’s chronic problem is a lack of housing for middle and lower-income people. It’s not that they can’t afford it, it’s that it doesn’t exist”. Officials should collaborate on creating solutions to the root causes and offer alternatives that would release some of the pressure. I would suggest promoting micro-homes or smaller scaled homes, limiting foreign investors’s purchases of single-family homes, or expanding campuses of employers to areas that are not heavily populated. It is not too late to restore the balance but it will take collaboration and team work. I am urging these officials and activists to try and save the beloved culture of this area and help retain it as a place where social justice is recognized and
There are many examples of cities reforming itself over time, one significant example is Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. More than a hundred years after the discovery of gold that drew thousands of migrants to Vancouver, the city has changed a lot, and so does one of its oldest community: Downtown Eastside. Began as a small town for workers that migrants frequently, after these workers moved away with all the money they have made, Downtown Eastside faced many hardships and changes. As a city, Vancouver gave much support to improve the area’s living quality and economics, known as a process called gentrification. But is this process really benefiting everyone living in Downtown Eastside? The answer is no. Gentrification towards DTES(Downtown Eastside) did not benefit the all the inhabitants of the area. Reasons are the new rent price of the area is much higher than before the gentrification, new businesses are not community-minded, and the old culture and lifestyle of the DTES is getting erased by the new residents.
As the United States economy grows and technology advances, many areas such as San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and New York City embrace tech companies with open arms. However, it turns San Francisco, once an affordable place, into a luxurious and costly city for people who earn six digit pay checks. The Golden Gate City currently tops the chart for the most expensive homes in the nation. Even techies rent are increasing each month. The people moving into these cities are raising rental and property prices. The middle class is being squeezed out of their
This state is full of more cities besides just Los Angeles and San Francisco, for example, my city Richmond, California. I wasn’t born there, but I have lived there most of my life, and there is a certain appeal is there, but its not the stereotypical beauty you see in any infomercial. This city isn’t celebrated nor is it world recognized for its accomplishments, but it is a small city with hidden treasure. The hidden treasure are the success stories that the community does not expect, and that can create a sense of empowerment for everyone around us. That empowerment is something that should be seen nationally, especially since Richmond is not the only impoverished city in
A downside to all this is that many millennials are considering leaving that whole region because of the overprice in rent. Big Tech companies are to blame for the rise of unaffordable housing. They start building their companies in the heart of Silicon Valley and convince the nearby housing owners to rent their place at a high price than the normal people would thus drive out middle-class people towards the street. This means that California’s future tech industry may be missing an opportunity for advancement. Right now huge corporations may believe that this is a clever way to get a few extra bucks but in the next few years when employers and future employers leave it can affect these California-based businesses quite negatively. Businesses will take a huge hit if they do not try and accommodate youth in their structure now. A solution could possibly be for companies buying the housing to actually book apartments or houses in or out of the region for future employees. These businesses could also expand this idea all across America, by building new headquarters in other tech known areas to attract the right type of employees. If they make their industry tech based, housing offered to work in a company can attract many people . Having successful leaders and a good location can guarantee a reason for people to stay. This type of change needs to start now, this will ensure millennials who are not in the Silicon Valley area an opportunity to advance many corporations. Having this type of structure can guarantee a successful plan. It can help the economy, families, and lead to breakthrough
...These residents are drawn by the increasing demand for service-oriented businesses ranging from restaurants to law firms and by the employment that is preserved in sectors like manufacturing. The report also finds that immigrants are boosting civic engagement through participating in their communities and in the military while creating American jobs through entrepreneurship. The Brookings Institution recently described the 10 traits of globally fluent metropolitan areas, one of which is “opportunity and appeal to the world,” where metro areas are “magnets to attract global investment, new businesses, skilled workers, entrepreneurs, immigrants, foreign students, tourists, and/or business travelers from around the world.” See The Brookings Institute, is looking at this from virtue ethics view, when what is better for the greater good when it comes to the individual.
When you associate anything with New York City it is usually the extraordinary buildings that pierce the sky or the congested sidewalks with people desperate to shop in the famous stores in which celebrities dwell. Even with my short visit there I found myself lost within the Big Apple. The voices of the never-ending attractions call out and envelop you in their awe. The streets are filled with an atmosphere that is like a young child on a shopping spree in a candy store. Although your feet swelter from the continuous walking, you find yourself pressing on with the yearning to discover the 'New York Experience'.
... The relationship between manufacturers, dealers, suppliers and customers has dramatically improved. In fact, Ford has been the only one of the three big automobile companies in Detroit not to accept a U.S. government bail-out or file for bankruptcy protection, as its rivals General Motors and Chrysler did last year. According to the Wall Street Journal, Ford sales in April 2010 climbed to 25% as compared to GM’s 7.2%.