Where is the common sense in city planning? First off, I want to point out that everything about this is just wrong. It doesn’t make sense to model a city based on a mathematical equation. Doing so would create an inaccurate model. And since fire was becoming a problem with the increasing number of false alarms, large and frequent fires, as well as response times, why would it make sense to reduce service to these areas? I understand that the city is doing this because they think that certain areas are better off not there, but there are many other ways to do it. Also, the city should also attack the root of the problem. Reducing service in well-off areas so that the below average response time can be brought closer to the average is ineffective at solving the heart of the problem. Sub-optimization would only create more problems for these better off areas.

I see this model as a vicious cycle of the degeneration of the poor urban areas. Politicians use the fire department’s data on the numbers of fire alarms to deliberately reduce resource to the poor urban areas. The information is inaccurate and the numbers are often exaggerated with accidental fires labeled as arson. The targeted areas were South Bronx, Harlem and a number of other neighborhoods. These communities, which were mostly comprised of a black population would then be more susceptible to more frequent and violent fires, thus further encouraging politicians to abandon these areas. “Benign Neglect” and “Planned Shrinkage” are just euphemisms for the city to abandon troubled neighborhoods.

The problem explored in this brief reading is still apparent today. While it is true that services to these areas have been restored to a certain extent, the city is still not providing enough resources to these troubled areas. A friend of mine works in the fire department as an operator. He spoke of how his colleagues and him are having trouble with a contract. He has been working about 5 years without a contract because the city is refusing to give them anything. Much like the situation in the reading, The city is tightening their hold on resource as much as they can to these services. For the city, it would be beneficial if they can save resources by having branches closed out. As far as city planning goes, there’s not much common sense involved in solving urban problems. It seems like the city is creating more problems instead.

Discussion question: Should the city ever abandon the people that it’s comprised of? If so, when?