5.07.2008
Chapter 11: The Urban Development Process
Chapter 10: The City as Text: Architecture and Urban Design
Chapter 10: The City as Text: Architecture and Urban Design
5.06.2008
Chapter 5: The Foundations of Urban Form and Land Use
Chapter 8: Urban Form and Land Use in the Less Developed Countries
Chapter 8: Urban Form and Land Use in the Less Developed Countries
Today’s cities still show how they were planned back in colonial days, typically with the wealthy closest to the central plaza, and then further from the center are the lower and middle class residents. The cities that had royal guidance in planning their cities often forced citizens to relocate to cities because it allowed them to control them much easier.
There are several different types of African cities, thus making it difficult to compile them into one description. There is the indigenous or native city, which often were walled and were later influenced by colonial rule. Islamic cities were often some of the most important stops along the trans-Saharan caravan routes, because of the huge amount of religious centers and marketplaces. The colonial or administrative city, served as the bridge between the colonial powers and the locals, helping them maintain control over the region. There are also the European, dual and hybrid cities which are a mix of different kinds of cities.
It is especially interesting to see the layout of the South African city because of their practice of apartheid. There is a white CBD which is the main CBD, then Indian/Chinese CBDs, industrial districts, and separate residential areas for the whites, Indians, Chinese, and African peoples.
Chapter 7: Urbanization in the Less Developed Countries
Chapter 7: Urbanization in the Less Developed Countries
By 1950 only about 30% of the globe was urbanized, with North America leading the world, with over 70% of its population living in towns and cities. China is one of the notable countries making strides to urbanization, using their communist form of government to fuel the process.
Factors Promoting Urban Growth
There has been a trend of more births than deaths, which has led to a change in demographics, increasing the total population who of course need housing. Also, immigrants converge upon cities, because there is easy access to housing, health and educational facilities.
Many countries have seen the success of the United States' urban systems and are beginning to follow in its path. One notable case is China, which is using its communist system to promote economic growth. Furthermore, they believe that by encouraging movement into the cities will make it easier to control the general population.
Theories of Urbanization and Economic Development
There are many different explanations that have been proposed to explain the recent trend of urbanization. Some include the theory of trickle down effects which states that the success of other regions will eventually "trickle down" to lesser developed countries. Another theory is that of underdevelopment, which states that the lesser developed countries are stuck in this economic situation because they are being held down by the more financially and militarily advanced countries, and only now are they being encouraged to participate in the world economy.
Useful Websites
4.23.2008
Chapter 4: Urban Systems in Transition
Chapter 4: Urban Systems in Transition
This chapter tells how there are separate times in the history of urbanization. From 1945-1972 is the time of economic recovery, then the next era is between 1972-1983 which is a time period of economic crisis. Post 1983 is when there was a technological boom, and became powered by telecommunications equipment.
1945-1972
In this first stage, there was a change to advanced capitalism, as Henry Ford created the mass production system and thus Fordism was born. New methods of transportation were born, such as interstate highway systems, allowing quicker travel to faraway places.
With increased methods of travel, and the ability to get places quicker, certain cities became the hub of transpo
rtation, known as control centers. Places like Atlanta, Los Angeles and Dallas had a high proportion of corporate headquarters located there, increasing their importance. It was more convenient to have businesses centrally located in such areas, and they continued to grow and develop.
1972-1983
The United States entered a period of stagflation during the Arab-Israeli war when there was an embargo placed on oil going to the United States, quadrupling oil prices in the United States. As a result, the economy fell into a depression, productivity decreased and unemployment was on the rise.
This all resulted in a new attitude toward the economy, shifting away from the Keynesian approach and towards decentralization and deregulation of economic activity. Until 1982, the U.S. economy suffered from falling profit rates, plant closings, rising unemployment and poverty. Manufacturing was hit the hardest, and as a result, the process of deindustrialization began.
Post-1983
There have been certain technological systems that have been more influential than others:
- Production process technologies- are ways in which to make production easily separated and flexible, such as electronically controlled assembly lines, computerized sewing systems.
- Transaction technologies- which allows companies to be aware of exactly how much material is needed at any given time, and therefore they do not need to purchase excess stock.
- Circulation technologies- are the technologies that reduce the time it takes to spread information (such as e-mail, and with the latest hand-held devices, such as iPhones and Palm Pilots, people have their e-mail at their fingertips any time of day). This means that more information can be spread over a larger geographic space in a shorter amount of time.
With the shift to a more technology-based economy, there have still been not as many jobs in the manufacturing sector, yet there are more jobs in the professional and business sector. This also introduces the idea of relative locations, meaning that it is easier to spread information via computer and internet, and the central location of a company is not as important.
Globalization
With the new technologies, companies are now constructed in order to serve a larger market, on a global scale, and thus transnational corporations were born.
There is a four tiered system of hierarchy within the global system:
- World cities- ex. London, New York, Tokyo- these cities are primarily responsible for a disproportionate amount of the world’s business. They dominate their own continents, business-wise, and are also closely tied to one another. There are also secondary world cities, which are also integral parts to the flow between governments, major corporations, and other necessary business functions. World cities also have certain characteristics that distinguish them from other cities.
- A certain modicum of control over the flow of information, culture and news.
- Definite social and economic segregation- including a huge disparity between the elite (banking, insurance, accounting, etc) and the disadvantaged people
- Huge concentrations of new immigrant groups
- Prevalent class and racial conflict
- Regional control centers - Boston, Kansas City, Seattle, Dallas - these cities typically have a large number of corporations’ regional and national headquarters. They also have important medical and educational facilities.
- Specialized producer service centers- Orlando, San Jose- these are characterized by having a great need for specialized services such as banking and advertising, yet are dependent upon the previous two-tiers of the city system.
- Dependent Centers- these cities do not exercise the control that the other cities have, instead they have to rely upon the decisions made by these larger cities. There are certain kinds of cities that fit this category
- Traditional manufacturing centers (Buffalo)
- Industrial/military centers (San Diego)
- Mining/industrial centers (Charleston)
- Resort/retirement/residential (Las Vegas)
Demographic and Social Change
One of the most important changes in the United States economy was the appearance of the Baby Boom generation, and the influence that this generation had because of its sheer size. The Baby Boomers were marked by an affinity for the counterculture movement, and a rejection of the staid lifestyle that was encouraged during the 1950s. Because of their large numbers, there was a great deal of competition in the housing and job markets, increasing the market value for houses and wages stood still. Because of the fierce competition, a me-first mentality developed, creating a materialistic, narcissistic culture.
The next generation were the post-Boomers/Young Adults, which entered the housing market at a time when mortgages prices were down, making housing more affordable. Often these Post-Boomers live in the Sun Belt region, which has a fast growing market.
The elderly is also an important demographic, as they make 12.4 percent of the total population. This demographic is often (relatively) wealthy, and they often relocate to luxury spots, such as Las Vegas or Orlando.
- different generations bring about changes in the places they live and the effect that they have on the economy.
- as globalization occurred, certain cities came to the forefront of the industry, increasing their importance