DECENTRALIZATIONDECENTRALIZATION

The Creation of the SuburbThe Creation of the Suburb

The Street as Public SpaceThe Street as Public Space… the standard up to the mid 20… the standard up to the mid 20thth c. c.

Riverside, IllinoisRiverside, Illinois designed by Frederick designed by Frederick

Law Olmsted, 1869Law Olmsted, 1869 a prototype suburb 9 a prototype suburb 9

mi. from Chicagomi. from Chicago reached by streetcarreached by streetcar Why?Why?

– Cities at that time Cities at that time were smoky, dirty, were smoky, dirty, placesplaces

– Urban ailments were Urban ailments were wrongly associated wrongly associated with density itselfwith density itself

– Suburbs quickly Suburbs quickly became the became the fashionable places for fashionable places for the wealthy to livethe wealthy to live

The streetcarThe streetcar From the 1870sFrom the 1870s Driven by horse, by Driven by horse, by

cable, and eventually cable, and eventually by electricityby electricity– on-gradeon-grade– elevated (the “el”) elevated (the “el”) – below ground (the below ground (the

subway or “metro”)subway or “metro”) Driven out of business Driven out of business

in the 1950s in the US in the 1950s in the US through buy-outs, through buy-outs, aggressive aggressive competition from bus competition from bus companies, and companies, and government government subsidization of subsidization of freewaysfreeways

The The Interstate Interstate Freeway Freeway

http://www.gbcnet.com/ushighways/US101/101pics2b.html

FAHA: Federal Aid Highway Act (1956)

Federally-subsidized highway construction (states ended up paying only 10%)

Congress created a form of corporate welfare under hard lobbying from the “road gang”: oil, car, and tire corporations

The Post-War House (from 1940s)The Post-War House (from 1940s)a product of its economic and social a product of its economic and social

environmentenvironment

Mass-produced housing Mass-produced housing Levittown, etc. from 1950sLevittown, etc. from 1950s

Prefab parts, standardized plans, rotating work crews

A Levittown Photo Album

• Federal Govt. insured home loan providers from 1933 (FHA)

• Term was lengthened from 5-10 yrs to 20-30 yrs.

• Veterans Administration (GI-Bill) created no-down-payment loans

What is it?The Mall (from 1950s)The Mall (from 1950s)

Came into direct competition with downtown shopping districts and external pedestrian space, in general

The Service-Oriented SuburbanThe Service-Oriented SuburbanOffice Building (from 1970s)Office Building (from 1970s)

The Back Office (from 1980s)The Back Office (from 1980s)

Greenfields 1980sGreenfields 1980s

Greenfields 1980sGreenfields 1980s

BrownfieldsBrownfields

TOADsTOADsTemporarily Obsolete and Derelict Structures “TOADs”

Purified Residential SpacesPurified Residential Spaces

Centrifugal ForcesCentrifugal Forces

classismclassism racismracism federal policyfederal policy automobile automobile

dependencydependency ageing infrastructureageing infrastructure inner-city crimeinner-city crime school qualityschool quality inner-city pollutioninner-city pollution

Cyclical RelationshipCyclical Relationship

DECENTRALIZATIONOF JOBS

INCREASINGCRIME &

TENSION ININNER CITY

FLIGHT OFAFFLUENT

POPULATIONS

What happens to those who remain in What happens to those who remain in the inner city?the inner city?

Urbanization of PovertyUrbanization of Poverty

less than 1/3 of the poor in 1961 lived in less than 1/3 of the poor in 1961 lived in inner city areas, now about 1/2 of the poor inner city areas, now about 1/2 of the poor live in these areaslive in these areas

level of urban poverty has gotten worse: level of urban poverty has gotten worse: from less than 40% to more than 50% in from less than 40% to more than 50% in Chicago’s Black BeltChicago’s Black Belt

ghettos are expanding at their edgesghettos are expanding at their edges

Discovery of the 1990sDiscovery of the 1990s If everyone wants to live where the rich live, and If everyone wants to live where the rich live, and

the rich flee to the suburbs or the “urban fringe,” the rich flee to the suburbs or the “urban fringe,” only the really poor will be left in the inner cityonly the really poor will be left in the inner city

This will mean the city has few fiscal resources to This will mean the city has few fiscal resources to address social and environmental problemsaddress social and environmental problems

Urban problems will fester and cities will become Urban problems will fester and cities will become hostile, dangerous placeshostile, dangerous places

90% of those who live there will suffer from the 90% of those who live there will suffer from the unfavorable conditions without sharing any of the unfavorable conditions without sharing any of the “blame”“blame”

The way for well-off urbanites to address the The way for well-off urbanites to address the social problems of the inner city is to quit running social problems of the inner city is to quit running away away

Douglas Massey and Nancy DentonDouglas Massey and Nancy Denton

More than 85% of all ghetto-dwellers by 1990 were ethnic More than 85% of all ghetto-dwellers by 1990 were ethnic minorities minorities – Racial segregation got much worse up to 1990 (most recent Racial segregation got much worse up to 1990 (most recent

data they obtained)data they obtained) Fiscal retrenchmentFiscal retrenchment

– Schools were overcrowded and poor quality so students and Schools were overcrowded and poor quality so students and parents avoided themparents avoided them

– Apartment maintenance by landlords declined Apartment maintenance by landlords declined – Street and utility maintenance by the city declinedStreet and utility maintenance by the city declined– Quality of policing and fire protection declinedQuality of policing and fire protection declined

Spatial mismatchSpatial mismatch– Job opportunities disappeared as inner-city businesses were Job opportunities disappeared as inner-city businesses were

replaced by shopping malls in the suburbsreplaced by shopping malls in the suburbs Unemployment led to substance abuseUnemployment led to substance abuse

– chemical addiction affected pre-teenschemical addiction affected pre-teens– addiction led to a general sense of hopelessnessaddiction led to a general sense of hopelessness

Much of this comes down to Much of this comes down to a struggle against a struggle against

anti-urban ideologiesanti-urban ideologies

What are our What are our

dreams of the “good life”?dreams of the “good life”?

Anti-Urban DreamsAnti-Urban Dreams

More Anti-Urban Dreams …More Anti-Urban Dreams …

……and a Little Paranoiaand a Little Paranoia

Costs of the Anti-Urban Costs of the Anti-Urban DreamDream

DeforestationDeforestation

Who Suffers from Exurban Who Suffers from Exurban Development?Development?

Possum photo from http://www.rundevilrun.com/ezine/carcass.html

Exurban DevelopmentExurban Development

Habitat destruction for lawnHabitat destruction for lawn

Habitat destruction for recreationHabitat destruction for recreation

An Urban An Urban Renaissance?Renaissance?

Pedestrian MallsPedestrian MallsPearl Street Mall

(Boulder, Colorado)

RiverwalkRiverwalk(San Antonio)(San Antonio)

Quincy Market Quincy Market (Boston)(Boston)

Medium to High-Density, Medium to High-Density, Mixed-Use Developments in AustinMixed-Use Developments in Austin

The Triangle Development

The Mueller Development

Mueller Community, Austin Mueller Community, Austin (under construction)(under construction)

New Downtown DevelopmentNew Downtown Development

GentrificationGentrification

Actual realtor’s Actual realtor’s listing listing (from Toronto)(from Toronto) Grand High Park residence Grand High Park residence

““Diamond in the rough” Diamond in the rough” with parking with parking

Awaits your touch Awaits your touch

Exceptionally high Exceptionally high basement with separate basement with separate entrance entrance

Easy access to High Park Easy access to High Park & subway & subway

Stroll to trendy Bloor Street Stroll to trendy Bloor Street shops & restaurantsshops & restaurants

Problems with the Problems with the “Urban Renaissance”“Urban Renaissance”

Rising cost of an apartment leaseRising cost of an apartment lease and replacement of low- and replacement of low-income populations by professionals (gentrification)income populations by professionals (gentrification)

Displacement of the urban poor to the urban fringeDisplacement of the urban poor to the urban fringe – Mobile home parks interspersed with new $200,000 homes at Mobile home parks interspersed with new $200,000 homes at

the fringethe fringe– Leapfrog developmentLeapfrog development

Extra demands on old urban infrastructureExtra demands on old urban infrastructure– Must provide space for more cars, more people, more Must provide space for more cars, more people, more

businesses, etc.businesses, etc.– Must complement higher densities with greater access to Must complement higher densities with greater access to

public transit: buses and light railpublic transit: buses and light rail– Must safely accommodate more of two kinds of pedestrians: Must safely accommodate more of two kinds of pedestrians:

walkers and bikerswalkers and bikers– Must integrate historic architecture and sense of place with Must integrate historic architecture and sense of place with

large amounts of new constructionlarge amounts of new construction

SummarySummary The city has undergone a series of changes throughout the The city has undergone a series of changes throughout the

2020thth century century DecentralizationDecentralization has had a detrimental effect on inner city has had a detrimental effect on inner city

areasareas The The federal governmentfederal government has played a major role, has played a major role,

encouraging and literally subsidizing decentralizationencouraging and literally subsidizing decentralization Racist and classist attitudesRacist and classist attitudes drove the initial wave of drove the initial wave of

suburbanization and were “proven” by the evidence of suburbanization and were “proven” by the evidence of decline that followed from massive decentralization and decline that followed from massive decentralization and disinvestmentdisinvestment

Since the mid 1990s, a wave of interest has brought people Since the mid 1990s, a wave of interest has brought people back to the city and has rejuvenated interest in urban back to the city and has rejuvenated interest in urban living, producing a kind of living, producing a kind of urban renaissanceurban renaissance or or revitalization revitalization with some good effects but also some with some good effects but also some challenges and some negativeschallenges and some negatives