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  • Are We Growing Together or Growing Apart

    Diunggah oleh

    Dr. Pop
    9 tayangan2 halaman
    The document discusses rising economic inequality in cities across the United States, including Los Angeles which now has the largest gap between rich and poor residents of any major US city. It notes that the middle class is shrinking as more neighborhoods become dominated by either the wealthy or the poor. The author proposes four questions for evaluating how well a city promotes equitable growth that benefits all residents, rather than just increasing inequality. These questions address issues like involving renters in planning decisions, capturing increased property values for public benefits, tenant protections, and educating residents to participate meaningfully in the democratic process. The overall message is that cities need policies to reduce inequality and promote shared prosperity and vision if they want sustainable, democratic growth.

    Deskripsi Asli:

    Short article on the key question for urban policy-makers: "Are we increasing or decreasing inequality?"

    Judul Asli

    _ Are We Growing Together or Growing Apart

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    The document discusses rising economic inequality in cities across the United States, including Los Angeles which now has the largest gap between rich and poor residents of any major US city. It notes that the middle class is shrinking as more neighborhoods become dominated by either the wealthy or the poor. The author proposes four questions for evaluating how well a city promotes equitable growth that benefits all residents, rather than just increasing inequality. These questions address issues like involving renters in planning decisions, capturing increased property values for public benefits, tenant protections, and educating residents to participate meaningfully in the democratic process. The overall message is that cities need policies to reduce inequality and promote shared prosperity and vision if they want sustainable, democratic growth.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    9 tayangan2 halaman

    Are We Growing Together or Growing Apart

    Diunggah oleh

    Dr. Pop
    The document discusses rising economic inequality in cities across the United States, including Los Angeles which now has the largest gap between rich and poor residents of any major US city. It notes that the middle class is shrinking as more neighborhoods become dominated by either the wealthy or the poor. The author proposes four questions for evaluating how well a city promotes equitable growth that benefits all residents, rather than just increasing inequality. These questions address issues like involving renters in planning decisions, capturing increased property values for public benefits, tenant protections, and educating residents to participate meaningfully in the democratic process. The overall message is that cities need policies to reduce inequality and promote shared prosperity and vision if they want sustainable, democratic growth.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Are We Growing Together or Growing


    Apart?
    GILDAHAAS
    4QuestionstoConsider
    Lastyear,myhometownofLosAngeleswasawardedthedubiousdistinctionofbeingthemostunequalcityinthecountry.
    ThegapbetweenL.A.srichestandpoorestresidentsisgreaterthaninanyotherU.S.city.In1970,accordingtothe
    BrookingsInstitute,52percentofL.A.neighborhoodsweremiddleincome.By2000,thatdroppedto28percent,ranking
    lowestamongthetop100metropolitanareasinthecountry.Intheprocess,LosAngeleshadachievedaneconomic
    inequalityindexequivalenttothatofMexico.
    WhatsmoredisturbingaboutthissorrystateofaffairsinL.A.isthatitmarksanationaltrend.Economicinequalityisonthe
    risethroughoutthecountry,fueledbydomesticpoliciesandglobaleconomicforcesthathaveradicallychangedthecontext
    ofcitylifeandgrowthsincethe1970s.Deindustrialization,thelossofunionizedcoreindustriesandthegrowthoftheservice
    economyhavecreatedverylargelowwageemploymentsectors.Investorspulledbillionsofdollarsfromanunstablestock
    marketandputtheirmoneyinurbanrealestate,inflatinglandpricesandthecostofhousing.Meanwhile,federalinvestment
    incitieshasdeclined80percentsincethe1970s,makingitnecessaryforcitymanagersandcitycouncilstofindnewsources
    ofrevenue.Asaresult,thenumberofredevelopmentareashasskyrocketed,andsohasthe"fiscalizationoflanduse"the
    practiceofviewinglandfirstandforemostasarevenuegenerator.
    InmanymajorU.S.cities,tenantshavebecomethemajorityofthepopulation:70percentinNewYork68percentinBoston
    65percentinSanFranciscomorethan60percentinWashington,D.C.,L.A.andOaklandand57percentinAtlanta.Not
    surprisingly,thisshiftisaccompaniedbyincreasedhousingcosts,"gentrification,"andincreasedandrapiddisplacementof
    historicworkingclassneighborhoodsandcommunitiesofcolor.ThesetrendsalsoexistincitieslikeMiamithathavenotyet
    reachedthetenantmajoritytippingpointbutaresteadilymovinginthatdirection.
    AQuestionofImbalance
    Thenewinequalityposesproblemsandquestionsforurbandemocracywithrespecttowhocontrolsthedecisionsthataffect
    everydaylife.Cancitiesbedemocraticwhenentireneighborhoodsareabsenteeowned?Doesitmatterthatdowntown
    redevelopmentprojectscontinuetoconsolidateownershipintofewerandfewercorporatehands?Asthemiddleclass
    diminishesandcitiesbecomeincreasinglysegregatedbyincomeandclass(whattheUnitedWayofLosAngeles,ina
    recentfarreachingreport,callsa"TaleofTwoCities"),howdowegrowwithcommonpurposeandvision?
    Inthinkingaboutgrowth,themostimportantquestionforpolicymakerstodayis,"Arewegrowingapartorarewegrowing
    together?"
    Therearemanywaystoadjusttheincreasingimbalance.Absenteeownershipcanbeoffsetbyincreasinglocalownershipor
    increasingtenantsrights(orboth).Growingconsolidationofdowntownpropertyownershipcanbebalancedbypoliciesthat
    elicitclearcommunitybenefits,capturewindfallpropertyvaluesforthepublicgood,andthenintentionallydirectresources
    towardproducinggoodpayingjobsandaffordablehousingforpeoplewhopossessneither.Commonpurposeandvisioncan
    beaccomplishedwhenpeopleacrossclassesonceagainsharecommonpublicexperiences,suchasexcellentpublic
    schools,mixedincomecommunitiesandreliable,affordablepublictransportation.
    Overthepastfewyearsandthroughoutthenation,thecrisisofawideningdividewithincitieshasevokedagrassrootsre

    sponse.InJanuary2007,diverseorganizationsfromNewYork,Boston,L.A.,Washington,D.C.,Miami,Providence,San
    Francisco,OaklandandNewOrleansassembledinLosAngelestoformanewalliancethatisgroundedinasetofprinciples
    designedtoreduceurbaninequality.TheeffortiscalledRighttotheCity,anditsfirstaccomplishmenthasbeentoproducea
    senseofcollectivepurposeandhopethatinequalitycanbereduced,democracycanberebornandpeoplecanreclaimtheir
    citiesandneighborhoods.
    HowDoesYourCityRate?
    InthespiritofRighttotheCity,Iofferfourquestionstohelpyouevaluateyourowncityspracticesandpotentialformoving
    growthpoliciestowardavisionofimprovedurbanhumanrights.
    1.Doesyourcitynotifytenantsaswellaspropertyownersaboutimportantlandusedecisions,planningandzoningactions,
    andentitlementprocedures?Iftheanswerisyes,giveyourselfa10.Ifitiseasierforagroupofoutoftownprofessionals
    whoownpropertyinyourneighborhoodtodetermineitsfuturethanforlongtermtenants,giveyourselfazero.
    2.Doesyourcityroutinelyprovidedeveloperswithentitlementsthatsubstantiallyincreasethevalueoftheirpropertywithout
    capturingaportionofthatvaluetohelpreduceinequalityinyourcity?Ifyoutypicallycaptureaportionofincreasedproperty
    valuesinastrongintentionalwaytoproduceaffordablehousing,goodjobs,childcare,publicservicesorotherbenefitsthat
    helpbalancethescalesinyourcity,giveyourselfa10.Ifyoujustwatchthepropertyvaluesrise,letthedeveloperreapthe
    windfall,andhopethatthetrickledowntheorywillworkforthefirsttimeinworldhistory,giveyourselfaverylowscore.
    3.Dorentersinyourcityhaveanyrightstohousingstability?Doesyourcityhave"justcause"evictionlawsthatexplicitlylay
    outreasonableparametersforforcingpeopleoutoftheirhomes?Ifpeoplemustbedisplacedthroughnofaultoftheirown,
    dotheyreceiverelocationbenefitsthatactuallyhelpthemfindanewplacetolive?Ifyouansweredyestoalloftheabove,
    giveyourselfahighscoreandunderstandthatyourchildren(whowillmostlikelystarttheiradultlivesastenants)thankyou.
    SodoesyourAuntMargaret,aretiredschoolteacherwhoreallydoesntwanttomoveoutofherapartmentatthislatestage
    inherlife.Butiftenantsdonthaverightsinyourcity,takeanotherlookatwholivesinyourcity,takealookatyourkidsand
    yourAuntMargaret,andthinkagain.
    4.Doesyourcitytakeaneducativeposturetowarditspopulation?Isiteasyforpeopletolearnhowtonavigatean
    environmentalimpactreport,aplanamendmentoranewpolicyproposal?Canordinarypeoplewhocareaboutyourcityfind
    outaboutthebudgetandweighinonallocationsinameaningfulway?Participationandvotingdonotconstitutedemocracy.
    Itisinformedparticipationinaprocessincludingdialogue,debateandarticulationofideasthatistheveryfabricofreal
    democracy.Thebusinessofreducinginequalityandpromotinghealthygrowthcanthriveonlyinanarenathatpromotes
    equalaccessandresponsibility.Forexample,ifeveryoneisresponsibleforsolvingahousingcrisis,andeveryplaceisan
    equallypossiblelocationforaffordablehousing,asinthecaseofinclusionaryzoning,"NotInMyBackyard"(NIMBY)
    reactionsloseresonance.Letsbehonest,noneofourcitiesdeserveareallyhighscorehere.Wecanalldobetter.
    Everypolicy,everylanduseentitlementandeverypublicdecisionhasthepotentialtoincreaseordecreaseinequality.Ifwe
    learntorecognizetheopportunitiestoreduceinequalitythatappearbeforeuseveryday,wecanbetterunderstandthatonly
    equitablegrowthmakes"smartgrowth"worthyofthename.

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