Urban Decay

Urban decay is a process by which a city, or a part of a city, falls into a state of disrepair. It is characterised by depopulation, property abandonment, high unemployment, fragmented families, political disenfranchisement, crime, and a desolate and unfriendly urban landscape. more...

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Urban decay is associated with Western cities, especially those in North America and a few parts of Europe during the 1970s and 1980s. During this time period major changes in global economies, transportation, and government policies created the conditions that lead to urban decay. Although not uniquely a North American experience, the effects of urban decay run counter to the development patterns found in most cities in Europe and the rest of the world, where slums are usually located on the outskirts of major metropolitan areas while the city center and inner city retain high real estate values and a steady or increasing population.

There is no single cause of urban decay, though it may be triggered by a combination of interrelated factors, including urban planning decisions, the development of freeways, suburbanisation, redlining, immigration restrictions and racial discrimination.

Background

Since antiquity some people have chosen to live in cities for financial, social, religious or cultural reasons. Urban areas encourage the economical use of infrastructure, transportation and space. Urban areas offer the widest variety of opportunities for education and financial betterment. They are the meeting places where business is conducted and goods are exchanged. They are the ports of entry for immigrants and the seats of power for governments. Urban places are held together by the human desire to form societies, celebrate culture and establish meaningful social relations. Cities are the essential element of most civilizations. The very word "civilization" shares the same root as "city."

During the Industrial Revolution, people moved from the countryside into cities to find employment in the manufacturing sector. Industrial manufacturing was largely responsible for the population boom cities experienced during this time period.

Industrial manufacturing and the failures of city planning to keep up with the sudden changes during the late 19th and first part of the 20th century contributed to a poor and unhealthy urban environment. The population of cities increased dramatically and the infrastructure that was in place was visibly inadequate.

Changes in transportation (specifically the private motor car) and communications eliminated much of the cities' advantages. With the end of World War II in particular many political decisions were employed that favored suburban development that further encouraged suburbanisation. Such decisions have drawn the financial resources from the cities in favour of providing infrastructure for remote suburban areas. Racial discrimination, in this context known as "White Flight" in the United States, also played a part, as many chose to abandon cities and take part in an urban sprawl.

Read more at Wikipedia.org