1. Contemporary Urban Issues
AP Human Geography
Cities and Urban Land Use Unit

2. Inner City Problems

3. Physical Problems of Inner Cities: Deterioration
Filtering: the process of dividing up a large home into small apartments for low income families
Filtering leads to deterioration:
(1.) Landlords stop maintaining
houses
(2.) Buildings deteriorate and
grow unfit for occupancy
(3.) Owners abandon the property
which lead to zones of
abandonment and uneven dvlp
Camden, NJ

4. Physical Problems of Inner Cities: Deterioration
Redlining: drawing lines on a map to identify areas in which they will refuse to loan money
Redlining leads to deterioration:
(1.) Families who try to fix up
homes in the area have
difficulty borrowing money
Detroit, MI
Camden, NJ

5. Physical Problems of Inner Cities: Deterioration
Urban Renewal: blighted neighborhood are acquired and demolished - residents are relocated, often to public housing
Public housing leads to deterioration:
(1.) Funds given are reduced (30%)
(2.) Become unsatisfactory living
quarters
Camden, NJ
New Orleans, LA

6. Social Problems of Inner Cities: Underclass
Cycle of economic and social problems that creates a culture of poverty
Poverty characteristics of u-class:
(1.) Homelessness (1 million
each night in U.S.)
(2.) High crime rates due to
drugs, gangs, and hs dropout
(3.) Ethnic segregation
(minority-majority
neighborhoods)
(4.) Single parent households
(80 – 90% in U.S.)
Camden, NJ
New Orleans, LA

7. Ethnic Segregation of Houston

8. Economic Problems of Inner Cities
Lack of investment by business owners
Gentrification can create an inability of some owners to pay for their home due to increased taxes
Joblessness due to:
(1.) Deindustrialization
(2.) Suburbanization
(3.) Lack of job skills
Camden, NJ
New Orleans, LA

9. (1.) Lowest-value homes are becoming more clustered in certain parts (2.) Higher-value homes are increasingly being built in the suburbs (3.) The inner city remains an area of low-value homes

10. Da Burbs!