Urbanisation of City Centres | Essay

Urbanisation of City Centres | Essay Introduction The past few decades have witnessed a myriad of development and rapid change throughout the city centres of the developed nations. Promethean gentrification schemes, improvements in infrastructure, and an amelioration of the service sector have all assisted in encouraging many citizens to buy or rent property within the very heart of the city. As Pacione (2005, pg. 84) has highlighted, ‘there is now a growing body of case-study evidence that indicates a recovery of large cities from the high levels of population loss experienced in the 1970s era of counter urbanisation.’ Pacione (2005, pg.84) has also revealed that ‘the rate of population loss for all 280 of Britain’s urban areas fell from 4.2% in 1971-81 to 0.1% for 1981-1991.’ Thus, it would appear that there has been much success in encouraging households to dwell within the vibrant ‘zone of transition.’ However, academics are keen to discern whether or not the often adventurous strategies deployed by urban authorities and private investors alike will truly serve to stem the tide of citizens who seek to relocate to the rural hinterland. The coming of ‘re-urbanisation’ From the mid eighteenth century onwards ‘that complex series of innovations commonly referred to as the industrial revolution’ hastened the process of urbanisation throughout Europe and gave birth to the ‘industrial city’ (Pacione, 2005, pg. 50). Social commentators such as Marx and Engels noted how the city exhibited an ‘unequal division of power’ (Pacione, 2005, pg. 51) between the capitalists (who owned property) and the working classes. Indeed, Engels’ study of Manchester during the mid 19th century highlighted the phenomenon of ‘class-repulsion.’ The Chicago school of the 1920s promulgated the theory of ‘the city as organism.’ Burgess’s ‘concentric ring’ model of the industrial city highlighted how the form of an urban area commonly extended from a central business district (which was normally surrounded by a zone of poor quality housing and social exclusion) to areas of increasing affluence in the outer city and hinterland. The majority of the great industrial urban centres throughout Europe did indeed exhibit this pattern. However, since 1945 there has been a period of ‘post industrial urbanisation’ and a consequent ‘restructuring of urban form’ (Pacione, 2005, pg. 65). One could now say that many cities within the developed world have now moved into a fourth transitional stage known as ‘re-urbanisation.’ This phenomenon is when ’the rate of population loss of the core tapers off, or the core starts regaining population’ (Pacione, 2005, pg. 83). Such a trend is encouraging for municipal authorities and private investors who for many years have been forced to endure a process of depopulation or ‘counter urbanisation’ within the inner city. This was due to a period of industrial decline from the 1950s onwards. The large slum clearance and resettlement projects conducted within cities such as Glasgow and Liverpool also significantly reduced the urban population. As Holliday (1973, pg. 4) has succinctly stated, ‘change in cities is the result both of social, economic and technological forces at work in society and of particular local forces and physical factors within the city.’ Factors which have altered the structure of urban settlements and attracted residents back towards the city centre are indeed varied. There have been demographic alterations throughout the West since the post war ‘baby-boom.’ ‘Over a quarter of households contain only one person’ and ‘more women are starting a family late in life’ (Pacione, 2005, pg. 106). Thus, the requirement of a suburban family dwelling is not as essential for as many citizens now and the prospect of an inner city apartment may seem more attractive. As Knox and Pinch (2006, pg. 33) have also observed, the ‘growth of the service economy has had important consequences for the social geography of cities.’ Indeed, western cities are no l onger industrial zones over-shadowed by Blake’s ‘dark satanic mills’ and many white collar workers within the financial sector often dwell comfortably within the urban core. However, many would argue that the most potent force which has initiated the process of ‘re-urbanisation’ has been the stance adopted by governmental authorities in order to revitalise the city. Such a determination to improve the vitality and viability of the CBD often manifests itself in the guise of ambitious public/private ventures focusing on regenerating an entire area of the inner city. This was certainly the case at the London Docklands which has been entirely transformed over the past three decades. The Regeneration of the London Docklands The redevelopment of the London Docklands has been much publicised and is an example of a public/private venture which sought to revamp the ‘brown area of mostly abandoned nineteenth century docks and warehouses’ (Rykwert, 2000, pg.226) close to the centre of London. The London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was set up in 1981 in order to manage the project. As Rykwert (2000, pg. 226) has noted, ‘Docklands offered a prime site for development, but only if there was huge investment.’ The LDDC coordinated the regeneration and transformation of this once dilapidated zone. In 1987 the government also agreed to ‘fund an elaborate infrastructure’ of ‘roadways, rail links, and mains services on a large scale’ (Rykwert, 2000, pg. 226). Docklands was also designated as an ‘Enterprise Zone’ which was exempt from the rigorous planning restrictions which existed elsewhere within the city centre. According to the LDDC ‘Strategy for Regeneration’ report of 1997, the population of the locale had ‘increased from 39,400 to more than 80,000’ and the number of jobs had ‘risen from 27,200 to 72,000’ (LDDC, 1997) since 1981. The Corporation also stated that ‘the substantial numbers of new houses built has relieved pressure for residential development in Londons Green Belt’ (LDDC, 1997). A policy of offering generous tax incentives to private investors, coupled with public investment in local services would appear to have paid off. The LDDC also insisted that the newly revitalised residential districts of the zone are entirely ‘sustainable.’ However, there are some who would argue that the regeneration of the Docklands and the creation of new employment opportunities at Canary Wharf has largely benefited the influx of white collar workers, to the detriment of the socially excluded indigenous population. Gentrification of the area has also displaced many of the original inhabitants. Rykwert (2000, pg. 227) notes the stark contrast between the ‘expensively finished high-rise office buildings’ which ‘dwarf the more or less gated new housing to make an even sharper contrast with a blighted hinterland.’ Indeed, Rykwert also draws attention to the nearby borough of Tower Hamlets, which still suffers from one of the highest unemployment rates in the UK. Such a redeveloped area seems to be attractive to younger professional people who can enjoy the services and cultural aspects of the city centre close at hand. However, the ultra-secure environment of intercoms, security cameras and high walls, which en velopes the modern residential buildings, insulating the affluent from the potentially unsavoury world around them, is less appealing to families with young children. As Pacione (2005, pg. 65) has emphasised, young families will naturally gravitate towards the ‘stability, security’ and ‘comfortable world of consumption’ offered by suburban life. Marketing the City Centre Promoting a ‘positive image’ of the city is of paramount importance to contemporary municipal authorities. Indeed, as Knox and Pinch (2006, pg. 51) have noted, recent years have witnessed numerous ‘attempts by public agencies to re-brand cities and make them attractive to investors.’ The ‘Glasgow’s Miles Better’ campaign of the 1980s and 1990s, which was launched by Glasgow City Council, sought to shake off the ‘hard’ image the city had acquired as a centre of social depravation and criminal activity. The ‘Garden Festival’ of 1988 and Glasgow obtaining the accolade of ‘European City of Culture’ in 1990 further improved the reputation of the city and its environs. Glasgow is now considered to be a vibrant centre which offers a wide array of services and boasts a much improved infrastructure. Gentrification projects along the River Clyde coupled with the rejuvenation of the ‘Merchant City’ in the heart of the town have attracted white collar workers back towards the hub. The local council and private investors are now keen to promote the city’s heritage as well as preserving listed buildings, areas of environmental importance and historical monuments. Such a policy adds emphasis to Holli day’s (1973, pg. 21) statement that ‘the image of a city centre is a reflection of the values of city councillors and officers’ and that it is imperative to ‘present a centre of obvious commercial prosperity, traditional values, cultural activities and an appearance reflecting pride in the city.’ Such a determination to promote a positive image of urban space also compounds Eaton’s (2001, pg. 10) notion that ‘something as complex as the city can be promoted in the mind’s eye.’ The very perception one has of a city or space is of the utmost importance and has been of great interest to academics such as Michel Foucault and David Sibley in recent years. The LDDC also highlighted how the social connotations surrounding the name ‘Docklands’ have changed dramatically over the past few years due to positive marketing and a subsequent re-imaging of this once run-down area. The same phenomenon can readily be applied to the city of Glasgow, as well as other sites of urban regeneration. However, modern-day architects who design dwellings for inner city urbanites understand the complexity of their task. Graham Haworth (who was involved in the renovation and design of residential buildings in Coin Street in central London) has acknowledged how ‘city-centre housing still proves to be something of a paradox’ and that buildings must ‘fit in comfortably to a metropolitan context’ whilst providing a ‘setting for small scale domestic activity’ (Haworth, 2003, pg. 150). Indeed, public tastes often alter considerably through time and space, and this phenomenon also represents a major challenge to all agencies involved in restoring and maintaining the vibrancy and vitality of the ‘zone of transition’. Conclusion Urban authorities now deploy a range of strategies to enhance their city centres. Allen, Massey and Pryke (1999, pg. 100) have also observed that ‘new flows of international tourists and business people are restructuring old urban spaces.’ As Knox and Pinch (2006, pg. 33) have highlighted, the post war world has witnessed the ‘emergence of global cities’ which must compete for inward investment. The city centre offers a range of options for developers. The process of gentrification is seen by many to be a positive element in regenerating brown belt sites and a ‘back-to-the-city move by capital’ (Knox, Pinch, 2006, pg. 145). However, some would contest this ‘revanchist’ notion. Pacione (2005, pg. 212) has noted that gentrification ‘commonly involves residential relocation by people already living in the city’ and is not a ‘back-to-the-city move by suburbanites.’ The notion championed by the LDDC, and other agencies, that inner city redevelopment will place less strain on the rural hinterland and reduce the flow of households to the periphery is also questionable. It should be borne in mind that inner city regeneration tends to attract younger professional people in the 20-39 age group. Statistics released by the Development and Regeneration Services of Glasgow (2007, pg. 14) this year concluded that over 35% of the inner city population was within this age group. Numbers of citizens falling into the other age categories were below the national average. Indeed, one could say that the vibrancy of the urban core is more appealing to young professionals as opposed to households with children. Tonkiss (2005, pg. 80) has also emphasised that gentrification ‘remains something of a minority taste.’ As Holliday has highlighted, a variety of factors, from demographics to technological shifts, affect the development of the city. Municipal strategies tend to respond to these forces, and act accordingly. Despite the recent success of urban regeneration schemes, and a marked reduction in the depopulation of city centres throughout the UK, it seems likely that many households will continue to seek the safety and security of the rural periphery. During the period from 1981 to 1991 suburban zones in the UK continued to expand at a rate of ‘less than 6%’ (Pacione, 2005, pg. 84). Many retired people are also tending to move away from urban areas and relocate within the ‘sunbelt’ zone of the Mediterranean region. Bibliography ALLEN, J. MASSEY, D. PYKE, M. Unsettling Cities, Routledge, 1999 DEVELOPMENT AND REGENERATION SERVICES OF GLASGOW, Glasgow Factsheets, DRS, 2007 EATON, R. Ideal Cities: Utopianism and the (Un)built Environment, Thames and Hudson, 2001 HOLLDAY, J. City Centre Redevelopment: A Study of British City Centre Planning and Case Studies of Five English Cities, Charles Knight, 1973 KNOX, P. PINCH, S. Urban Social Geography, Pearson, Prentice Hall, 2006 LONDON DOCKLANDS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Strategy for Regeneration Report, LDDC, 1997 PACIONE, M. Urban Geography: A Global Perspective, Routledge, 2nd Edition, 2005 RYKWERT, J. The Seduction of Place: The City in the Twenty-First Century, Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 2000 THOMAS, R. Sustainable Urban Design: An Environmental Approach, Spon Press, 2003 TONKISS, F. Space, The City and Social Theory: Social Relations and Urban Forms, Polity Press, 2005 RIDDELL, R. Sustainable Urban Planning, Blackwell, 2004 SHORT, J, R. Urban Theory: A Critical Assessment, Palgrave, MacMillan, 2006 1

Dying at a Young Age :: Death Youth Accidents Essays

Dying at a Young Age Death can occur at any age or period in a person’s life. Death is a natural part of life that everyone will one day have to face. So why does it seem so different when a young adult or adolescent dies in comparison to an older adult? Is it so different? My brother lost two of his best friends in the last three years. One in a car accident and one to a terminal illness. I also lost my best friend in a car accident. In this paper we will look at why people consider it so different when a younger person dies, as well as what is appropriate behavior in dealing with death. MT was a fourteen year old boy that was entering his freshman year of high school. MT was very athletic and active young man. One day MT, used to the usual severe headaches that he sometime got, blacked out. His parents rushed him to the emergency room. The doctors believed it was just a seizure. After a couple weeks in the hospital MT was released from the hospital just before Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving day MT blacked out again. He was again rushed to the hospital. This time doctors believed it was a tumor, but had to wait for the swelling in the brain to go down to do surgery. MT went into a coma, which he never came out of. The doctors finally figured out MT had a rare disease called Moa-Moa. The disease caused the blood vessels in the brain to burst. MT died five days before his fifteenth birthday. CO, a typical high school senior, thought he was invincible. CO decided to drag race one of his friends. As they went around a forty-five mile per hour curve at eighty miles per hour CO left the road. CO was instantly killed as two passengers walked away with a few cuts and bruises. MW, a twenty year old college student, was on her way home for the summer break. MW looked up to see another car in her lane trying to pass a semi.

just war Essay -- essays research papers fc

One of the oldest traditions in religious ethics is that of the just war. The "Just War Theory" specifies under which conditions war is just. Opposition based on the Just War Theory differs from that of pacifists. Oppositionists oppose particular wars but not all war. Their opposition is based on principals of justice rather than principles of pacifism (Becker 926). In the monotheistic religious traditions of Christianity and Islam, one role of God (or Allah) is to limit or control aggressions among humankind. In these religious traditions, God establishes an ideal or standard for the righteous use of force by followers of the faith. These standards, or just war traditions, address details of when to use force to solve disputes, to what extent the force should be employed, and whose blessing is required to insure that the use of force is appropriate in the eyes of God. If a situation satisfies the just war tradition in that culture and the aggression is carried out for religious reasons, the action can be further classified as holy war. Many Americans connect the concept of holy war only with Islam. In fact the Christian crusades during the middle ages were just such a holy war being waged by Christians against Muslims. Whether a particular situation qualifies as a holy war or not, the focus of the just war tradition is to ask God for approval. â€Å"Appeals to ‘holy war’ or ‘religious crusade’ in one or another tradition are one type of appeal to divine authority regarding the use of force.† In recent history numerous conflicts, border skirmishes, battles and wars have arisen in which governments have decided to apply military force to varying degrees. Inevitably, politicians, policy-makers, religious and military leaders seek divine authority on which to base the struggle of their population and the loss of life. Have religious ethical values or theological aspects of the just war tradition influenced the nature of these military actions? Have the prevailing religious values kept military actions any more humane than they might otherwise have been? This paper will examine the theological roots of the just war tradition in the Christian and Islamic cultures. In addition, it will try to ascertain how religious ethics, and the just war tradition in particular, has been used between the †Å"war† on terror and the United States. Finally, this paper will dem... ...; Weigel, George. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Greenhaven Press, 1978. â€Å"Encyclopedia of Islam.† Esposito, John L. New York: International Union of Academies, 1960. â€Å"Exploring the Christian Faith.† Packer, J.I., Osborn, Grant R., Brown, Colin. Nashville, Tennessee: Lion Publishing, 1996. â€Å"Just War and Jihad, Historical and Theoretical Perspectives on War and Peace in Western and Islamic Traditions.† Kelsay, John & Johnson, James Turner. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1991. â€Å"Living Religions.† Glasse, Cyril. Oxford University Press, 1995. Fisher, Mary Pat. 4th Ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999. â€Å"The Christian Theology Reader.† McGrath, Alister E. Malden, Ma & Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing, Ltd. 1995, 2001. â€Å"Pacifism.† Encyclopedia of Ethics. Ed. Becker, Lawrence C. New York & London: Garland Publishing, INC. 1992. â€Å"War and Peace.† Encyclopedia of Ethics. Ed. Becker, Lawrence C. New York & London: Garland Publishing, INC. 1992.

Elderly or Old Age Stage of Development

Participant’s Cultural BackgroundThe elderly woman is a Caucasian living in the United States and has been living within the culture of the west throughout her life. Therefore, her life has not been adversely affected by other cultures. The Western culture is such that it emphasizes individualism and independence thus each person seeks autonomy through education, employment and involvement in various social activities. Information provided to me indicated that she was a teacher before she retired and involved herself in community work. In particular, her social work revolved around providing guidance and counseling services to young adults and adolescents.According to Schulz & Jutta (1996, p. 704), aging is not universal and affects people in different ways as influenced by diverse factors that the individual is exposed to, among them being education, social support, diet and nutrition. These factors mediate the process of aging thus determine the success or failure of aging. Generally, the participant had been influenced by the factors especially education, nutrition and social support. The participant had been influenced by education owing to the fact that before her retirement, she had been a teacher and lived with her family who provided her with social support and adequate nutrition.She is a Caucasian thus culturally, her family is keen on her diet and wellbeing. Setting where participant was observed I observed the participant in her home where she lives with her family for a week. I was able to make my observations constantly because the participant does not live far from where I reside. The house is medium in size and houses six people with the participant being the oldest. She lives with her son, the son’s wife and their two children as well as a nanny. There is an open back yard behind the house where there is a swimming pool and a garden with flowers and grass.The elderly woman spends most of her day in this area with the assistance of a nurse and in some occasions in the company of her son and grandchildren. She generally deals with various aging issues. For instance, she is dealing with retirement and decreased income, dealing with loss of spouse and getting ready for her own period of death. She does not engage in energy demanding activities such as walking long distances, climbing the stairs, lifting heavy objects, among others. She claims that whenever she involves herself in strenuous activities, she breathes a lot.According Leahy, Grafe and Fuzy (2004, p.  124), when people grow older, their blood circulation becomes less efficient hence they become sensitive to diverse things such as energy demanding activities and extreme temperatures. In general, I made my observations within the compound in which the participant was residing in. During my one week of observation, I did not see her travel but she always saw her family off whenever they were going out. Behaviors displayed At this stage of development, t here are a number of behavioral characteristics that can be observed in the elderly participant physically, socially and psychologically.This is because the individual is likely to have retired, thus undergone significant evolution. 92 years of age means that the person is shifting towards the end of his or her life cycle. It is often a time when they can spend time with their grandchildren, engage in leisure activities and overlook the issues that caused stress and anxiety in the prior decades. The participant was participating in some activities that enabled her to enjoy her aging. For example, in the mornings, I would see her in the garden either trying to trim the flowers, water the garden or plant more flowers in the flower pots.Although the pace of engaging in the activities was slow, she seemed to enjoy doing that work and it sometimes required the intervention of the nurse to stop her from gardening. According to Peck’s theory, during old age, an individual experience s Ego Differentiation vs. Work Role Preoccupation where the elderly individual is prone to cling to lifestyles that he or she previously lived or engage in activities that enhance their self esteem (Saxon, Saxon & Etten, 2002, p. 26). The participant had slower responses as well as reflexes.When she is asked about something, I observed that she took a while before she responded. In addition, she seemed to be forgetting various instructions within a short period of time especially in situations when the instructions or information given were verbal. I realized this after she asked my name a couple of hours after I had told her. However, she had definite memory of visual gestures because she could spot her son’s car from a distance. According to Leahy, Grafe and Fuzy (2004, p. 123), aging affects the person’s ability to remember and concentrate because it affects memory.It is difficult for the old to think fast and logically due to old age. However, the degree of memory loss differs with individuals. In most cases, the elderly often experience memory loss of recent activities whereas past activities are easily remembered. The elderly woman has lost several things ranging from independence, friends, health to family although she may have increased wisdom. The elderly are faced with some developmental tasks such as bending with declined physical energy and loss of well being. This is indicated by her behaviors such as having difficulties picking up things when they fall.For example, during one of my observations, she was walking towards the car but her hat was blown off by the wind. However, she was not able to bend and pick hence was assisted by her grandson. In addition, her reaction to the hat that had been blown off was slow in both speed and verbal response. Saxon, Saxon and Etten (2002, p. 26) point out that in the process of aging, Body Transcendence vs. Body Preoccupation influences the elderly to an extent that for older adults with the capa city to rise above preoccupation with their health, they have the ability to engage in activities that grant them individual satisfaction.Her vision, taste, hearing, and smell are quite poor. For her vision, she usually has difficulties reading and noting details in some visual objects and this explains the reason why she always wears her spectacles. She is not able to see small sized objects. For example, in case a button falls on the carpet, she cannot find it. Her taste is also poor because she always complains about food and drinks. For instance, she often complains about food having inadequate salt which is rarely the case or that the fruit juice given to her is tasteless.Her hearing has been impaired by old age because when communicating with her, one has to speak loudly or talk close to her ears. On several occasions, her grandchildren are forced to almost shout so that she can hear them. This has brought frustration to the participant owing to the fact that she finds it stre nuous to communicate with those around her. In the course of my observation, I noted that the participant did not have a good sense of smell. I made this observation when the nanny burnt the food and while everyone else was finding fault in the strange smell, she just said, â€Å"I don’t smell anything†.Schulz & Jutta (1996) point out that during aging, it is common for the elderly to loose their senses of smell, touch, taste, hearing and sight. This is attributed to the decline in the ability of the senses of the body to function adequately. In conclusion, it is evident that old age results to changes in diverse aspects of life to psychological and physical changes in the life of the elderly. Aging affects persons differently depending on factors such as nutrition, social support, education and diet.Conversely, aging generally results to a decline in the ability of the body to function due to a decline in the capacity of a number of body parts to function e. g. respir atory system, urinary system, circulatory system, nervous system, and musculoskeletal system and hence affecting the activities they get involved in. Therefore, at old age, the elderly should be well taken care of because they do not have the ability to function effectively as they used to in their previous years (Leahy, Grafe & Fuzy, 2004). References Leahy, W., Grafe, J. & Fuzy, J. L. (2004). Providing Home Care: A Textbook for Home Health Aides. Albuquerque: Hartman Publishing Inc. Saxon, V. S.S, Saxon, V. S. & Etten, M. J. (2002). Physical Change & Aging: A Guide for the Helping Professionals. New York: Springer Publishing Company Schulz, R. & Jutta, H. (1996). A Life Span of Successful Aging. Journal of American Psychologist. Vol. 51 (7), pp.702- 714