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Inner cities in the U.S. experience unique challenges that differ significantly from suburban areas. Physical issues include poor housing conditions, abandoned properties, and urban renewal efforts that may displace low-income families. Socially, a permanent underclass grapples with high unemployment, crime, and inadequate services. Economically, declining tax bases limit funding for essential services while pushing wealthier residents to gentrified neighborhoods, leading to displacement of minority populations. Understanding these distinct challenges is critical for effective urban policy and revitalization efforts.
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Ch. 13 Key Issue 3 Why Do Inner Cities Face Distinctive Challenges?
US Urban Area • Most noticeable distinction is between inner-city neighborhoods and suburbs along the periphery of the city • Inner-city residents face different problems than suburbanites • Physical • Social • Economic
Physical Issues • Poor housing conditions (built pre 1940) • Filtering • Dividing large houses built by wealthy into smaller units for low income families • Houses are abandoned when income from rent is less than Landlord’s upkeep costs • Low income fams move further out from center to find better housing, leaving houses empty • Redlining
Physical Issues • Urban Renewal • Acquire blighted properties, relocate inhabitants, demolish and rebuild • Destroy culture and reduce supply of low cost housing • Public housing- gov’t subsidies (higher in Europe) • Clustered too many poor into one place
Physical Issues • Urban Renewal • Renovated Housing- alternative to demolishing • Attracts middle-class fams = gentrification • Renovating large inner city house just as expensive as buying a new one- and you get amenities! • Gentrification can cause a change in patterns (Chicago) = more whites in inner-city and more minorities further from center
Revitalization of CBDs • Gentrification efforts • New, nicer and more expensive housing • City’s changing their appearance by shifting from industry to service activities • Cultural amenities: museums, night life, sports arenas, parks/open spaces • Increase in income allowed residents to pay more for CBD living space (during good economy) • Effects: pushes low income (mainly minorities) out of inner city
Social Issues • Permanent underclass • Trapped in a “Culture of Poverty” • Unemployment, alcohol/drugs, illiteracy, crime • Poor quality services in inner city • Unwed single mothers • Stay married or stay on welfare? • Lack skills/ do not graduate = cannot compete for jobs • Low skilled jobs are now in far off suburbs • Homelessness
Social Issues • Permanent Underclass • Clustering of ethnicities and “segregated” cities • Will pick neighborhood where characteristics match their own • Scenic (nice views) homes for wealthy, industrial regions for poor (close to jobs)
Economic Issues • Due to the eroding tax base, there is shortage of money to pay for needed services • City has 2 choices: • Reduce services • This would encourage middle class to move away • Raise tax revenues • This would attract new businesses to inner-city
Economic Issues • Impact of the recession • Collapse of housing market in inner-cities • Subprime mortgages to low-income fams • Renting minorities in inner ring became targets • Unable to repay loan = forclosure • Falling home prices = owed more than house is worth (being “upside down”)
