Urban Poverty and Deprivation AP HUG

PART 1: RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION

Residential Patterns in Rich Countries Residential Segregation: the physical separation of population by culture, income or other criteria. Common in all cities Intensity depends on the differences between the guest and hosts.

The Causes of Residential Segregation Are: Socio-economic Status Ethnicity

Socio-economic Status In Western societies, socioeconomic status is determined largely by income and employment

Ethnicity The cultural differences between immigrants and existing residents often lead to difficulties in communication, which can result in segregation.

Ghettoization The process of turning something into a ghetto. Usually done across racial lines.

Redlining Redlining is the practice of denying, or charging more for, services such as banking, insurance, access to health care, or even supermarkets, or denying jobs to residents. Is often racially determined areas. During the heyday of redlining, the areas most frequently discriminated against were black inner city neighborhoods. For example, in Atlanta in the 1980s, banks would often lend to lower-income whites but not to middle- or upper-income blacks.

Blockbusting Blockbusting was a business practice of U.S. real estate agents and building developers meant to encourage white property owners to sell their houses at a loss, by implying that racial minorities were moving into their previously racially segregated neighborhood, thus depressing real estate property values.

Blockbusting Tactics The tactics included: hiring black women to be seen pushing baby carriages in white neighborhoods selling white neighborhood houses to black families and afterwards placing real estate agent business cards in the neighbors’ mailboxes; and saturating the neighborhood area with fliers offering quick-cash for houses. building developers bought houses and dwelling buildings, and left them unoccupied to make the neighborhood appear abandoned — like a ghetto or a slum — psychological manipulation that usually frightened the remaining white residents into selling at a loss.

Racial Steering Racial steering refers to the practice in which real estate brokers guide prospective home buyers towards or away from certain neighborhoods based on their race. Racial steering is often divided into two broad classes of conduct;Advising customers to purchase homes in particular neighborhoods on the basis of raceFailing, on the basis of race, to show, or to inform buyers of homes that meet their specifications

Close Reading Activity “Separate, Unequal, and Ignored” by Steve Bogira As you read, consider this question and try to find evidence to support both sides: Is segregation in Chicago based more on ethnicity or socioeconomic status?

PART 2: URBAN POVERTY AND DEPRIVATION

Deprivation Within most cities, there is considerable variation in quality of life. “Poor” Areas are zones of deprivation, poverty and exclusion. MEDCs: inner-city areas/ghettos LEDCs: Shanty towns/slums

Measuring Deprivation Indices Used to Measure Deprivation: Physical Indicators: quality of housing, levels of pollution, incidence of crime, vandalism, graffiti Social Indicators: Crime (or fear of) levels of and access to health, standards of education. Economic Indicators: access to employment, unemployment, underemployment, levels of income Political Indicators: opportunities to vote

Squatter Settlements Residential areas which have developed without legal claims to the land and/or permission from the concerned authorities to build; as a result of their illegal or semi-legal status, infrastructure and services are usually inadequate. 30% of the urban population of the world live in squatter settlements. 1 billion people! By 2050 it will be 2 billion! This animation shows how squatter settlements are upgraded over time. http://www.sln.org.uk/geography/geoweb/blowmedown/shanty05.swf

Caracas - Venezuela

Rocinha – Rio de Janeiro Brazil

Dharavi, Mumbai

Slum Living Positive Aspects Negative Aspects Points of Assimilation for Immigrants Informal entrepreneurs can work here Informal employment at home (no commute) Strong sense of kinship (family support) Crime rates are relatively low. Negative Aspects Security of tenure is often lacking Basic services are absent (water and sanitation) Overcrowding Sites are often hazardous Levels of hygiene and sanitation are poor and disease is common.

Watch Richard Neuwirth’s TED presentation on his book Shadow Cities (14 min) He presents an empathic and positive view of squatter settlements and their role in modern cities. http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_neuwirth_on_our_shadow_cities.html

Slums of hope or slums of despair? Discuss in elbow partners! Is it possible that squatter settlements, shanty towns, bustees, favelas, slums are part of the solution? Or perhaps is it true that they are a potent symbol of the failure of society to address the basic needs of the majority and it must be the responsibility of the public sector to provide housing for its citizens? Slums of hope or slums of despair? Discuss in elbow partners!