Solving Urban Problems Gentrifying Inner Cities

Make Downtown Attractive Increase access to Central Business District –Improved Roads and Highways Widen / Build Highways –Better Mass Transit Options Subway Systems Light Rail

Make Downtown Entertaining Increase after hours & weekend foot traffic –Stadiums and Arenas –Shopping Districts –Arts –Community Events Free parking late and on Sundays

Make the City Safer More Foot / Horse / Bike Patrols –Police have greater presence on streets “Broken Windows” Policing –Aggressively enforce vandalism laws

Improve Urban Schools Entice students to attend public schools –Magnet and Charter Programs IB Programs STEM Programs Arts Programs College Prep Programs

Fix Dilapidated Commercial Areas Use Eminent Domain to acquire dilapidated properties –Kelo v. New London, CT Work with developers to build new complexes –Tax Increment Financing –Tax Rebates and subsidies

Fix Dilapidated Neighborhoods Crack down on slumlords –Many receive huge fines or even jail time Encourage Middle Class settlement –Give incentives to government employees to move into rundown neighborhoods Low cost loans / Loan forgiveness

Manage Infill Developments Work with landowners and developers to create plans for desirable infill development –Work with public to find best use –Create mixed use developments Retail Offices Housing

As Neighborhoods Gentrify Free Market takes over –House flippers rehab old houses and sell them to new buyers –Homebuilders scrape off old houses and build new houses –People buy houses and update them –Desirability “bleeds” into nearby neighborhoods

Effects of Gentrification on Cities Demographics of the city have changed: –More single young people –More DINKs (Dual Income No Kids) –More Empty-nesters –Less poverty –Minority Populations smaller

Effects of Gentrification on Suburbs Demographics have changed: –More minorities –More poverty –More homelessness Suburbs inherit urban problems –Filtering and rentals –More dilapidated housing