Unit 6 Urbanization Why do Metropolitan Areas Face

Unit 6: Urbanization Why do Metropolitan Areas Face Challenges? AP Human Geography Copeland

Changing Urban Geography • Deterioration of infrastructure (abandoned/empty buildings or homes, unsafe or empty schools, unsafe roads and sidewalks) • Causes of the above: • Filtering-dividing up houses and renting to multiple families (lower income) • Redlining- banks refusing to lend based on geographical location and socioeconomics • Zone in Transition-lower class housing, possible immigrant housing • Racial Steering-refers to the practice in which real estate brokers guide prospective home buyers towards or away from certain neighborhoods based on their race • Public housing-high density, low income, low education, high crime, low wages=TRAP! Ex. Pruitt-Igoe Housing in St. Louis • Underclass-trapped in unending cycle of economic and social problems (gang activity, high birth rates, unemployment, deteriorated schools, welfare cycle system, lack of affordable housing, lack of police/fire/hospitals, lack of shops and jobs)

Changing Suburban Geography • Suburban Stress • Gentrification-rich people move back to the city Therefore, underclass situation moves to the suburbs (invasion and succession) Ex. Chicago-Northside=Rich White people Suburbs=Hispanics Cincinnati-suburban schools/districts distressed due to low income families moving to suburbs • Invasion and Succession

Economic and Social Challenges for Urban and Suburban Areas • Urban Challenges • Eroding tax base (low income, inner city residents require public services, but pay very little in taxes) • Inadequate job skills • Culture of poverty • Result: eroding infrastructure, reduced services (fire, police), fiscal squeeze (increased taxation for those left in the city), homelessness, drugs • Suburban Challenges • • • Recession led to increase in home prices relative to income levels Placelessness Traffic/congestion Infrastructure can’t keep up with growth Increase in crime rates due to displacement of lower class in urban areas

Solutions? • Gentrification? • Annexation? • Removing public housing or privatized housing for workers (allow businesses to provide housing for possible workers-Detroit and Dan Gilbert • Revive consumer services-provide consumer services to gentrified areas (Boston-Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Chicago-Navy Pier, Philadelphia. Reading Terminal Market, Atlanta-Underground? ) • Mixed Use Development/Smart Growth-blends residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment uses, where those functions are physically and functionally integrated, and that provides pedestrian connections.

Where will you live? What will you do? The End of AP Human… • What will cities look like in the future? • Will you live in urban areas? Suburban areas? Rural areas? Will it even matter where you live? • What will you do to make money? • Congrats, we are now finished with all of the required curriculum in AP Human Geography. Now, go live your life, but good luck trying to live it without noticing concepts, terms and ideas we’ve discussed in class. Why does this happen? You’re human, you’re Human Geography in action.