The Death and Life of Great American Cities Analysis

The city is diverse at the racial level but not at a neighborhood level. Each ethnic group mostly live in the neighborhood which is as the same race as them. Their mobility and diversity development at neighborhood level are limited due to the segregation. The relationship between segregation and diversity is complicated and varies on different perspectives. However, it is sure that racial segregation arises social problems such as gang’s violence and crime . This is a core problem that should not be neglected. Otherwise, it would further harm the society harmony and the next generation in the

Mesoamerica’s first metropolis was Teotihuacán. The metropolis included many palaces and temples, but the main structure was the Pyramid of the Sun. It also consisted of many streets and a huge market that sold various goods and agricultural produce. Most people lived in apartment compounds, some housing over 100 people, made of stucco and consisting of different rooms. Teotihuacán grew wealthy from agriculture due to its location in the Valley of Mexico. This valley provided them with fertile soil as well as a steady supply of water. As the city’s power and wealth declined, the ruling class abandoned the area and principalities and surrounding peoples competed for the farmland. Farmers at this time took

I agree with Nash Gray because Europe did not mandate all cultural influences that entered America’s culture. Long before the Europeans had arrived native americans had been making their own unique culture which is stated in “America’s Lost City” when comparing Cahokia to prevalent societies such as Mesoamerica. Another important observation about the natives predicament is that they were not only subjected to Christianity by Europe’s Spanish conquistadors but they were also exposed to African slaves who brought their respective cultures with them which was a major point in not only Nash Gray’s argumentation but also whenever we read about the Columbian Exchange from the book and in class. The influx of these new peoples lead to an increase

David Brooks, a political and social writer, commentator, journalist and editor wrote an article to comment on “diversity” and the nature in which people organize themselves in America. The article was published in The Atlantic Monthly, September 2003. Brooks responds to the issue which he see as the obvious: how diversity is a great deal in the United States but yet, no one gives heed to it. Throughout his response, he brings to our attention the various reasons why he think the issue is present in America. He also presents ways in which people could fix this problem by giving examples of what they could do. With all of that being the center of his response, Brooks did bring up certain ideas which I perceive as either agreeable or disagreeable.

It has always been human nature to live in small concentrated cities because of the opportunity, the services that are provided, and the cultural diversity, however negative aspects do arise when people are closely compacted, such as poverty, pollution, overcrowding, and even violence (“Urban” np). Residential segregation can also come from diverse cities caused by Urbanization, i.e. Chinatown in New York City (Beall, et al. 7). Some cities have tried to limit the amount of cars used for transportation and fund many sorts of different modes of transportation, and the large amounts of transportation may make it difficult for people to switch to a different mode, although a taxi or bus may still get stuck in traffic thereby limiting the contributing

Gentrification is the result of renewing or rebuilding in urban neighborhoods , which has become a common controversial topic in urban planning. As the rise of gentrification increases basic upgrades such as sanitation and safety requirements are being put in the environment. Two distinct articles contemplate on the idea of gentrification are, The Independent’s “Artisan cafes and luxury flats: How bad can gentrification really be?” by Kashmira Gander from the June 2, 2016 and CNN News’ “American Opportunity: How gentrification may benefit the poor” by Patrick Gillespie from the November 12, 2015. Gander interprets gentrification does not improve the economy but affects the wellbeing of owners to be displaced and in greater terms lose their job and become homeless whilst in contrast Gillespie focuses on the benefits and the greater opportunities for the proletariat. Both articles differ on the topic between gentrification.

Much has been said about the development patterns that are found throughout towns and cities in North America. In the New York Times, a post authored by Vishaan Chakrabarti discuses the trends facing American cities in the article “America’s Urban Future (Chakrabarti).” This article talks about the ways in which American cities are seeing resurgence in their urban areas, and new population segments are moving into once blighted areas. In order to convey the changes occurring throughout our communities, Chakrabarti relies on ethos and logos to provide a foundation for the information, and effectively uses pathos to convince the audience that they should care about the subject in question.

makeup of the city, and how race affects the entire dynamic of it all. The

There are many consequences that arise as a result of gentrification, such as increases in rent and property taxes, increased infrastructure costs, disinvestment into certain neighborhoods, and decrease in diversity. However, improvements in the cities that tend to be associated with the white, affluent, often leads to the transferring of poorer, black tenants. Schwartz argues, “What Sorkin calls the ‘pathology’ of gentrification is obliterating those elements of thriving urban life that Jacobs famously identified: diversity uses; the mom-and-pop stores; what Zukin calls the ‘cheeky-by-jowl checkerboard’ of rich, poor, and middle class; the distinctive identity of neighborhoods” (86). “Thus, one may argue that gentrification comes as a result

The silence is deafening. Other than the occasional screech of a cat fighting with a raccoon, there is no sign of human life. The nighttime is no time for neighborhood adventures, there is no one to save you from the dangers that lurk around every corner. Here, there are never any witnesses to avenge the victims of horrific crimes. A couple of weeks ago there was string of arson attacks; I watched the flames rise from the house across the way. I observed all the residents on the block as they stood outside asking each other, “Did anyone see anything?” After several weeks of investigation the answer always seemed to be no. Jane Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities and E.B. White’s Here is New York are writings that both

Zoning is arguably the root of both structural and racial/economic segregation that occurs within a city. The motives behind exclusionary zoning are fueled by the desire to preserve the integrity of specific communities and areas at the expense of one or multiple social groups. This process is more apparent in residential zoning, but the concept can be seen in various urban components, even elements as simple as infrastructure. Federal highways have shown to be a vehicle of segregation by serving as literal boundaries between neighborhoods of different races. These highways support ‘white flight’ and also allow for the ‘flight’ of jobs into the suburbs as well; this phenomenon leaves black and other minority neighborhoods economically deprived as industry begins to

Therefore, they also made privately owned buildings to save space and have sunlight always hit that area. Doing this would also make government related buildings stand out more in the city. Consequently, they passed was making sure buildings directly in the sunlight have a shelter over near the building. I think the builders were trying to put the residents first and give residents the best living experience in the city.

Locals were aware that their neighborhood was one full of drug handling, and short housing, along with closed businesses. Jane Jacobs, an urban theorist, disputes in her book “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”, that an important use of sidewalks in neighborhoods is safety. She argues that streets and their sidewalks are the most vital organs of a city. Her explanation is that “thinning out a city” is one of the most dangerous things you can do. She mentions extremely important characteristics of a city in order for it to be

Metropolitan areas exhibit an amazing diversity of features, economic structures, amounts of infrastructure, historic roots, patterns of development, and degrees of conventional planning. Yet, lots of the problems that they deal with are strikingly acquainted. For example, as metropolitan areas grow, they grow to be increasingly diverse.

His first comprehensive city plan was La Ville Contemporaine (the Contemporary City) a project to house three million inhabitants designed in 1922. This was Le Corbusier’s first attempt to reconcile man, nature and machine (Fishman, 189). The city starts at the center with a transportation hub for busses, trains, cars and planes. Surrounding this hub there will be an organized cluster of 24 60-story skyscrapers. These glass and steel skyscrapers are cross-shaped. Each individual skyscraper is to be set within a large rectangular green space. The skyscrapers house the “brain” of the city. The city is beautifully geometric and symmetrical. Placing the skyscrapers in the city center reinforces the emphasis on capital as a means of creating a successful city. Because of the shape and mass of each skyscraper, they have more usable space than an entire neighborhood but also relieves density and congestion because of the organization (Frampton, 46).