2. Big Cities
2a. Cities are important
centers of education, new ideas and exchange of those
some comparison between structure of cities and brain
emergent structures
engines of innovation
spread of innovation, usually starts at cities Hagerstrand, Torsten.1967. Innovation Diffusion as a spatial process
social structures that promote change
"elites" in bureacratic positions of power
PSU played a role in this city (needle exchange - Hugo Maynard, other examples)
Portland has engagement (from watershed councils)
Putnam, R.D. 1993.
Making Democracy Work: Traditions in modern Italy.Putnam - Bowling AlonePutnam & Feldstein 2003 Better Together" Restoring the American Community
with a chapter on Portland - "Portland: A positive epidemic of civic engagement"
trust -> engagement -> democracy
2b. urban growth
(positive feedbacks for big cities - jobs, crime in rural areas, closely
related to the poverty cycle)
megacities
proportion of population in large cities
50% now on only 2% of land area
(developed, developing)
quality of city life
improvements
densitiy - pollution
2c. Processses in urban areas
urban areas as processors of material
good aspects - recycling and lower use
bad aspects - not self sustaining, density/pollution, poverty
urban poor -
transportation systems
mass vs. individual
automobiles and their effect
taxes and fees
multiple transportation options (why it's good to live in Portland)
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3. Sprawl
Multiple factors provided stimulus for sprawl
- ample land
- home loans
- low-cost gas
- mortgage write-off on taxes
- zoning - separation of business and residential
- numerous governments (city, county, etc)
Undesirable aspects of sprawl
How can we stem or reverse sprawl in the United States?
not just the removal of a factor
restoration
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