Module 2: Discussion

PADM 7224 1

MODULE

Seminar in Urban Problems

PADM 7224

University of Memphis Department of Public &

Nonprofit Administration

Edwards & Imrie (2015) Chapters 3 & 4

2

PADM 7224 2

CHAPTER 3: WHOSE RIGHT TO THE CITY?

Edwards & Imrie (2015) The Short Guide to Urban Policy

PADM 7224 3

Whose Right to the City?

 The big question – does urban policy seek to create a debated idea of the “good city” by regulating and policing behavior? And is it behavior of specific social classes?

PADM 7224 4

Whose Right to the City? Unruly Cities & Urban Disorder

 “City” is often associated with disorder and dangerous

 Major goal of urban planners is to eliminate or control disorder through the built environment – manage pollution, overcrowding, etc.

 City as a place of individual strangers vs. a community of difference

PADM 7224 5

Whose Right to the City? Unruly Cities & Urban Disorder

 Differentiating groups of people has been characteristic of urban policy – creation of the idea of an “underclass”  Murray and Hernstein’s The Bell Curve (1994)  Vox 2018 critique of the ideas of Murray and

The Bell Curve  AEI 2014 interview with Murray on the 20th

anniversary of the book  Policy debates ensue about who’s

responsibility for different behaviors of different groups

PADM 7224 6

Whose Right to the City? Managing Places and People

 Urban policy frequently focuses on managing problem behavior that threats civilized society – crime, drug use, etc.  NYC zero-tolerance “broken windows”

approach to crime

 Pulls resources away from policies that address causes of poverty and inequality, which lead to such threats

 Perpetuates social exclusion

PADM 7224 7

Whose Right to the City? Managing Places and People

 Urban policy frequently focuses on ensuring safe and secure public spaces

 Common policy tools to accomplish:  Urban planning and architecture using the

built environment  Private-run business improvement districts  Initiatives that focus on “nudging” citizen

behavior

PADM 7224 8

Whose Right to the City? Social Identities & the Rights to the City

 Does urban policy reinforce traditional value systems that promote various social identifies and perceived inequalities?  Policy on built city spaces often stimulate

traditional gender roles  Policy on built city spaces often excludes (or

does not consider) large groups of people (e.g., children, LGBTQ+ community, disability community)

PADM 7224 9

Whose Right to the City? Web Links

 Secured by Design (UK)  https://www.securedbydesign.com/

 Neighborhood Scout (US)  https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/

 UN HABITAT (Global)  https://unhabitat.org/

PADM 7224 10

CHAPTER 4: PRIVATIZATION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL URBAN POLICY

Edwards & Imrie (2015) The Short Guide to Urban Policy

PADM 7224 11

Privatization & Entrepreneurial Urban Policy

 Economic development / regeneration is a perennial urban policy focus  Includes major infrastructure projects  Gained momentum in U.S. cities following

WWII  Accelerated in 1980s and 1990s in response to

1970s  Privatization is closely associated with

economic development given the large role of private (non-governmental) actors

PADM 7224 12

Privatization & Entrepreneurial Urban Policy Emergence of Privitism in Urban Policy

 Varying levels of privatization across different types of sectors, services, and cities – it’s not a “one-size-fits-all” approach

 Always present in U.S., but further fueled by Reagonism in the 1980s (reflective of Thatcherism in the UK)  Considered a valid policy response to help ailing

cities when hit economic bottom in 1970s – “trickle-down” economics

 Lasting result of new urban governance arrangements in urban regeneration – larger role for private actors, reduce role for city government

PADM 7224 13

Privatization & Entrepreneurial Urban Policy Urban Entrepreneurialism & the Changing Nature of Urban Governance

 City governments encouraged to be “entrepreneurial” and partner with private sector to bring prosperity to the city  Example – urban regeneration in 1950s New

York City (see Module 1 film)  Example – urban development corporations in

UK in 1980s/90s

 Concerns about lack of democratic accountability on private sector actors

PADM 7224 14

Privatization & Entrepreneurial Urban Policy Property-led Regeneration & Economic Development

 During 1980s inner-cities began to be viewed as places to spur private investment for economic development

 New economic development was NOT attracting blue-collar sectors (“old” cities), but sectors related to attracting the “creative class” (“modern” cities)

 Cities take a wide range of measures to attract businesses (see p. 112) – recent example being cities bidding to get the next Amazon headquarters  Amazon has triggered a $5 billion bidding war  Why Amazon’s Search for a Second Headquarters

Backfired

PADM 7224 15

Privatization & Entrepreneurial Urban Policy Urban Entrepreneurialism in the 2000s

 Does urban entrepreneurialism lead to further fragmentation and segregation in the city?  Since 2000, rent has climbed faster than

incomes – residents are being out-priced of their communities

 Private spaces are growing – gated residential communities

 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) – transferring city power to private (or quasi- private) hands

PADM 7224 16

Privatization & Entrepreneurial Urban Policy Web Links

 Corporate Watch(UK)  https://corporatewatch.org/