Urban City Stereotypes

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Stereotypes of urban cities commonly reflect the portrayal of minorities which they are seen as poor and criminals in comparison to the middle and upper Caucasian class. Such stereotypes are an effect of environmental racism. However, to divert from the spread of negative and racist stereotypes, the local government must reflect a better city. In this paper, I am going to explain the benefits of new regionalism in relation to urban cities and minorities. Having influence from Manuel Pastor and Myron Orfield, minorities need attention from their local government to better their lives. I will argue for the practice of sustainable farming for urban cities as a positive reinforcement for urban growth. Sustainable farming provides an opportunity for urban minorities for self-government and self-business. Lastly, I discuss the themes that occur in Don Peck's article How a New Jobless Era Will Transform America and further argue that Americans need a necessary change in the government and economy to become prosper.

Local governments should focus differences and problems in urban communities through the use of new regionalism. New regionalism is defined as the stress placed on the region as a scale for understanding and addressing urban problems (Pastor 75). Urban cities are more dependent on their local government than the state government because of their smaller jurisdiction. The local government is responsible for the city's problems because they are able to focus more on the city and its people. Moreover, it is the local government's priority to recognize the negative impacts of the city's environment and then transform the city to a more livable community (Livable Cities). Within the cities boundaries, the local government have t...

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...definite and obvious prejudice against race. Such statistics illustrates the income and class level of each race portraying the majority of white neighborhoods are middle to upper class while black neighborhoods are part of the lower class. Additionally, regional food equity is affected by transportation. Urban communities have a poor transpiration system limiting travel and means of arrival to any location (Department of Transportation Environmental Justice). Transportation and regional food equity are interdependent: without a good transportation system, inner-city dweller do not have means of getting good quality produce and food. Limitations of a city's transportation generalizes negative images of their people through conveyance of people's affordability and access. Ultimately, to have food equity, society must respond to environmental racism and urban sprawl.

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