Discussion Question: What exactly are the right decisions to make when planning a city and what is at fault?
To those who know New York City, this city is constantly changing its demographic of what group, of people, lives where. Throughout the five boroughs, New Yorkers are used to new programs and policies to “renew” the city or “help” the area. There is no doubt that the city itself is over populated and overcrowded.
To quote the article, “Origins of Public Health Collapse in New York City: The Dynamics of Planned Shrinkage Urban Decay and Social Disintegration” by R. Wallace and D. Wallace. “Homeless people wander the streets and public places like war refugees; the addicted, the mentally ill, those afflicted with AIDS, and sick children overwhelm hospitals; crime and violence overwhelm entire neighborhoods and fill jails to bursting.” People are everywhere and continue to constantly migrate into the city. This article discusses a serious, and often fatal, impact that this over crowding has on this great city, fires. Because people low income and poor families ted to live in densely populated areas they are more susceptible to fires. The article talks of a “cycle” where service cuts in fire department causes an increase in response time and damage which also causes the families and businesses to relocate, changing the look of a new place. What we see is government making decisions that dramatically impact families and neighborhoods.
Another governmental influence that affects the residence of low-income families, is city planning. The Chapter of New York for Sale by Angotti discusses how city planning, which is disguised as a policy to better neighborhood, often forces current residence out of an area to make room for a more ideal class of people. The chapter focused on African American resistance to this displacement of people, mostly because they are most impacted by it.
The government believes it is bettering the city and neighborhoods and often ignores the impact it has on the poor, but what is the right answer to the city’s overcrowding and urban blight. I currently live in Harlem, which is in the process of gentrification. The middle class is taking over which is positive for the reputation of the neighborhood but not a positive change for its residence. The government is trying to “better the neighborhoods” but what about the people? Who has the right answer to how to fix the city crime rate and provide the greatest possible outcome for the greatest number of people? All the articles we have read criticize the policies put into place, but it is easy to criticize from a distance. Incorrectly predicting the impact of a policy is what the biggest problem seems to be. Not properly preparing for the long term affects and failing to consider the poor and homeless are the downfall of policies.
