Michael Porter's The Competitive Advantage Of The Inner City

The loss of industries was one of the reasons for the decline of the city. Therefore, the city in conjunction with the federal government must work on serious strategies and tactics to bring back industries that were lost in the 1970s. This of course would mean giving out incentives to the corporations and certain tax reliefs and so forth. That initiative alone would solve the city’s major economic issues because it would provide jobs to low-skilled workers as well as the blue collar workers because that those are the groups that are

When a neighborhood is gentrified it will not only change the image of it, but also the services available there (Al-Kodmany 2011, 62-63). In other words, gentrification does not only have an impact on the physical aspect of the land, but also the resources that lie there. During the 90s, the Near West Side neighborhood located near Loop, an up-scale neighborhood, sought drastic changes within the area. The changes in racial demographics in the Near West Side indicated that the health risks that affected minorities dropped in the past decade (1992-2002) (Al-Kodmany 2011,

For example, many cities that are rich in culture, diversity, and vitality are beacons for white people interested in the “upcoming scene.” This brings more and more whites who displace and marginalize the original residents through increasing prices. Cities such as New York, Boston, and San Francisco all have neighborhoods that originally had mostly poor, uneducated African Americans, and now are swelling with young, educated whites that have greatly increased the price of living. In Boston, Charlestown, Jamaica Plains, and Beacon Hill have all experienced intense characteristics of gentrification from the 1970s up until the present, showcasing an increase in the population with at least a bachelor’s degree, as well as a large increase in new and renovated buildings. In New York, the most famous example of gentrification is in Harlem, has undergone a process of gentrification after becoming known as the national, and even international symbol for black culture with a vibrancy that is not seen in the suburbs. Finally, in San Francisco, in the bay area, there has been a massive influx of affluent companies that have completely devastated the middle class due to a high rise in wealthy, educated, employees. These employees have taken residence up in the bay area, causing the entirety of the already previously gentrified neighborhood to skyrocket to unobtainable prices, even for the

3. In the 1990’s the central business and residential districts of cities in the United States became the focus of a revitalization process. Discuss how each has contributed to this revitalization process.

Therefore, the Lawrence Minority Business Council (LMBC) and the Lawrence Working Capital (LWC) was organized to help generate multiple small businesses and to help increase employments rate in

The separation of “east side”, “west side” and the hidden notion of Unjust treatment toward residents seems to never be mentioned when talking about what it means to be from Baltimore. Within each one of these microcosms you will find impoverished people. You will find disenfranchised people. You will find the new “ghetto” filled with individuals that have been politicized into a system they will never be able to get out of. The local policies makers, and government officials play a key part in this oppression of minorities.

Charleston, South Carolina boasts a rich history. The city was founded in 1670 by English colonists and grew from a small to a prosperous seaport (Charleston, n.d.). The Civil War’s beginning was at Charleston’s Fort Sumter as Confederate soldiers fired upon Union soldiers in April of 1861 (Charleston, n.d.). The Civil War was difficult to recover from for Charleston, and in its rebuilding it focused on trade and industry (Charleston, n.d.). As time went by, Charleston was challenged with a “dying downtown and a crumbling urban housing stock” (Jackson & Sinclair, 2011, p. 80). In 1976, Mayor Joseph “Joe” Riley took office and was the catalyst in the rehabilitation of the city, making it one of the most beautiful American cities today (Jackson & Sinclair, 2011). This paper will summarize the case study of Charleston, South Carolina, which is segmented into four sections, the Symptoms, the Diagnosis, the Cure, and the Prevention.

This report will be on the research I have discovered first hand as well as through statistical data that compares and contrasts the neighborhoods of Greenbush and Burke Heights, both located in Madison, Wisconsin. When researching these two neighborhoods, I focused on the neighborhoods housing statistics, demographics of their residents, and the money circulating within the neighborhoods. Another aspect I paid attention to while comparing the neighborhoods was the economic and employment opportunities available within the communities. These benefits directly correlate to the amount of capital that is available for residents. Lastly, I took note of the entertainment, retail, and physical possibilities that prevailed in these neighborhoods.

The “ Keep Indianapolis Beautiful” organization is the reason there is a great appreciation for art, nature and sense of community in Indianapolis. As we know it today, Indianapolis is at its highest peak in employment and rated as one of the best cities to relocate to in America for better careers and quality of life. However, back in the 1940’s Indianapolis was referred to as a “raw, dirty and unkept city…”, a city people should avoid. Gangs, drugs, loitering and other illegal acts surfaced many neighborhoods and communities during that time. Considering where Indianapolis is today, one would never believe this city used to be ins such despair. Thanks to many civic leaders, devoted women and passionate residents, Indianapolis went from a trashy, neglected city to a place of beauty, pride and opportunities. Throughout this profile, I will identify how KIB’s legacy was created, its contibution to social capital through “private action for public good”, and why KIB is vital for not only Indianapolis, but the world in its entirety.

New York City is the largest city in the United States with a population of more than 8 million people (NYC Planning, 2017). The city has been facing serious challenges since 2001, especially with the recession in 2008. Tough problems ranging from poverty, increased immigration, high crime, increase in drug activities, air and water pollution, and high population density, and so many more. These are just some of the many problems that have threatened the quality of life for New Yorkers. This paper seeks to examine three tough challenges; poverty, air and water pollution, and population density, which have faced the city of New York as well as pointing some possible solutions to these problems.

Both cities are experiencing urban decay. As infrastructure continuously deteriorates, the cost of living decreases. The solution to decaying urban areas is to renovate infrastructure and rehabilitate the society as whole. The socio-economical culture mostly consists of lower class African Americans. The culture is more inclined to commit crimes because of their economical standard. Early studies claimed that there might be a single digit percentage of pre-gentrified citizens displaced in the community, possibly causing them to be homeless. Displacement of the lower class citizens is due to higher property tax housing and rental homes, which will make it unaffordable to the current residents. McPhee, Schaffer and Smith look at both situations in different point of views, which helps readers comprehend the overall issue of urban decay and gentrification. Urban decay and gentrification will affect the lower and middle to upper class in different ways. The only issue is that child-oriented families will not leave the suburbs because they have a comfortable and safe living, as well as other benefits. The solution that the government and private markets must reach is how to renovate the cities while maintaining the current residents

Porter, M. E. CompetitiveS trategy. (1980): Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. New York: Free Press.

Living in the inner-city and suburban neighborhood can be challenging and beneficial for some individuals, especially for career opportunity. Many people who live in the urban communities have a better advantage in finding a job of their choice. Most corporations are located in the inner-city which makes it easier for people to find a job. Despite the job opportunities in the inner-city, many of these corporations do not provide parking for their employee which makes it difficult for many individuals. On the other hand, employment in the suburb is very limited and many of the professional jobs are

Many downtowns first emerged as a distinctive place due to elite residents with homes in the area, which served as meeting places for important business transactions. By the late 19th century downtowns had typically been laid out with designated business blocks (Ford 2003). The growth of the business block as an economic center and booming downtown forced out any competition that were not appropriate with “high rents, social pressure and architectural change” (Ford 2003, pp 45). This was the origin of the spatial structure and land use patterns that are associated with contemporary downtowns. The origin of the town structure is most commonly affiliated with European cities as models of spatial layout. Specialty business and retail districts that characterized American downtowns and what we now image a good downtown to be are directly linked to it European counterpart. The key characteristic that defer from the European model was the tendency for American cities to be street-oriented rather then place-oriented. This contributed to the more linear structure of the city, business pursued locations on the “main street” rather then near major plazas or religious buildings (Robertson 1997).

Since the early 2000s, gentrification accelerated in various New York City neighborhoods. Data shown that about 29.8 percent of New York City has been affected by gentrification in low-income communities (Governing Data 1). This is over a 20 percent increased from the previous decade in New York City alone. Gentrification is a term used to describe displacement or renewal in urban neighborhoods as a result of increasing property values and rent prices. Gentrification has existed since the 1960s but has rapidly increased since then . Gentrification has now become a common and global controversial topic in many low-income neighborhood. Although, gentrification hasn’t always been bad from increasing job opportunities to lowering crime rates. Gentrification has impacted and transformed underprivileged districts in New York City. However, at the advantage of who ? Thus, gentrification has only increased average rates of poverty and infused neighborhoods with “white privilege”.