Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Essentially every non-totally-gentrified city has parts considered "the Ghetto"-that is, a section that is largely decayed and/or run-down, extremely poor, high-crime, and typically majority black. These types of neighborhoods seem totally stagnant and often dangerous, and are usually avoided by the rest of the populace-including their own residents, as evidenced by population loss. They are generally the lowlight of American cities, and sometimes they can even make up entire cities themselves (EG Gary IN, East St. Louis IL, Camden NJ). Their existence is an American urban tragedy.
So my question is, what should we do with these sections of cities?
Personally, I think tearing them down is out of the question-their residents will locate somewhere else and make that place "the ghetto." I don't think gentrification is the answer either, as a) it only works in areas close to highly desirable employment centers, and b) it causes the same relocation issues as above. I think these areas need more private investment and by extension, jobs. So what I would propose is that cities create economic "free zones" where zoning codes, regulations (other than crucial environmental/safety ones) and taxes are reduced or even eliminated, so that private investment pours in to take advantage of the workforce there. Ideally I would also extend public transit lines to those areas, but that's not a feasible/affordable option for a lot of cities. Regardless, more jobs=more tax revenue=better schools and services=better upward mobility and less crime.
So what would you propose? How would you fix "the ghetto?" (Please keep this discussion civil and not politically charged)
Here in Pittsburgh, a neighborhood called East Liberty's neighborhood development group (ELDI) found a novel way to deal with crime/blight in their neighborhood. They figured out the rental properties which had the biggest crime problems (e.g., those owned by absentee slumlords) and bought them out. Depending upon the status of the properties, they then either demolished them, had them converted back into single-family houses, or had themselves or other more reputable property managers take over.
There's no doubt that East Liberty is gentrifying today, but much of the new development continues to include mixed-income components, and relatively few people who weren't criminals or abetting them were displaced. The neighborhood was 66% black in 2010, and will likely remain around 50% black by 2020, meaning the vast majority have not been displaced. Crime in the residential portions of the neighborhood has dropped by 50%.
Of course, this doesn't mean the issue has been solved, because the lowlives must have moved elsewhere. But it has resulted in a method of "controlled" gentrification which has allowed for local communities to remain mostly intact while becoming much safer places to live.
In the end, I think there is no solution to the "ghetto" problem except dilution though. Spread around the worst troublemakers into small pockets so that there are not enough to make any one area go to hell.
There is really nothing you can do. You can give all the incentives in the world to companies to relocate there and while that may work on a small scale, i can pretty much guarantee you they will still hire from outside. No respectable and successful company is lining up to hire uneducated workers, many with criminal records. That may sound bad but think of it this way, if they were educated and productive they would most likely not be living in the ghetto to begin with. The problem is with few manufacturing jobs, these people have nothing to fall back on like they did 50 years ago.
There is really nothing you can do. You can give all the incentives in the world to companies to relocate there and while that may work on a small scale, i can pretty much guarantee you they will still hire from outside. No respectable and successful company is lining up to hire uneducated workers, many with criminal records. That may sound bad but think of it this way, if they were educated and productive they would most likely not be living in the ghetto to begin with. The problem is with few manufacturing jobs, these people have nothing to fall back on like they did 50 years ago.
There are still some low-skill manufacturing jobs in the U.S., I'm sure. Of course, there aren't enough for entire cities to base their economy on anymore, but we don't need them to support entire cities-just parts of them. I feel like these communities have in a way been left behind in the U.S.' Transition from blue collar to white collar.
In regards to the topic, this is somewhat personal. I work im a blighted area and some of the adjacent areas aren't that safe. I live with my parents, some 45 minutes away. I would love to live closer to my job. However, rents are rising in many places. Anywhere that's reasonable is either too far or sketchy.
In the end, I think there is no solution to the "ghetto" problem except dilution though. Spread around the worst troublemakers into small pockets so that there are not enough to make any one area go to hell.
I don't know how you do that.
The best place to put a shoe store is next to another shoe store, if you check out your mall store arrangements.
The best place to put a car dealership is next to another-the West Liberty Avenue auto row (and previously Baum) aren't historical accidents.
I think the same is pretty much true with crack sales, prostitution and other lowlife business ventures.
The best place to put a shoe store is next to another shoe store, if you check out your mall store arrangements.
The best place to put a car dealership is next to another-the West Liberty Avenue auto row (and previously Baum) aren't historical accidents.
I think the same is pretty much true with crack sales, prostitution and other lowlife business ventures.
I guess I should have said "potential troublemakers." Basically spread around the most at risk kids so that they're less apt to learn the ways of the street from experienced hoods.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
