This created a “white flight” from the cities to the new suburbs. New freeways enabled much of this flight. Note: Spring Branch, SW Houston, Scarborough.

Many unscrupulous real estate companies made the situation worse. They began “blockbusting” which increased the number of whites moving out of the city. This was illegal but still done.

The real issue that faced cities with the advent of white flight was a shrinking tax base. This “inner city decay” feeds upon itself. As the middle class abandons the city, a number of negative factors grow….

As people and businesses move out of the city, taxes are raised on those remaining in order to make up for lost revenues. As the taxes are raised, more businesses move and the cycle continues until there are few if any light or heavy manufacturers in the urban core. This eliminates many of the jobs inner city residents had relied on. They do not have access to the locations where jobs have relocated to.

Schools must slash budgets due to declining tax revenues, schools often decline, producing a poorly educated underclass.

Filtering A process of a deteriorating neighborhood. Original owners move out, larger homes may be divided into apartments, smaller homes are rented out. Original owners move out, leaving behind a lower income neighborhood that deteriorates.

As homes move further from the core of the city the density gradient changes. This means: Relate to the “bid rent theory”

URBAN LANDSCAPE AND KEY TERMS

Many cities have a “symbolic” landscape that reflects the city’s history and becomes synonymous with the city. When people used to think of Houston, they thought of? Today they think of ? ?

Match these symbolic landscapes to their city.

The “redlining” of neighborhoods made it difficult for many low income people (particularly minorities) in certain areas to get loans for home improvements, mortgages, and businesses.

Denver Harbor Would you loan money to these neighborhoods?

The Civil Rights movement in the USA opened the schoolhouse doors of “white” schools to black students. This also paved the way for blacks to legally move into “white” neighborhoods.

Palm Terrace public housing, Houston In the 1950’s, the government subsidized the building of low income public housing. Public housing is much more prevalent in European cities than American cities.

Palm Terrace public housing, Houston In the 1950’s, the government subsidized the building of low income public housing. Public housing is much more prevalent in European cities than American cities.