Mid-Term Questions on Urban Studies

Mid-Term Questions on Urban Studies

Question One

The Gateway Regional Center Urban Renewal Area is located in one of the most strategic positions in the Portland region. This project covers about six hundred and fifty-three acres of land which was acquired through the demolition of various historic buildings. In as much the project led to a lot of physical damage and relocation of neighbouring individuals, its completion created a lot of employment opportunities. The single-family homes lost their yard areas and their desirable neighbourhood that surrounded the regional centre.

Urban revitalization, on the other hand, can be explained as an initiative which is set to help in reorganizing a structure of a city due to social or economic reasons. In this case, the project was established to turn it to a local shopping and service destination, which would offer employment to the natives. Public involvement was undertaken before the actualization of the project to ensure that no conflicts arise when the demolitions start. This means that besides the contractors and the state, the public was also a significant part of this project.

Adherence to federal policies such as educating others on the urban renewal process, optimization of investment in the district, conformity with the comprehensive plan of the city and the agreement between the commission and property owners are some of the reasons why the project was a success. The planners of this project were trying to solve transport problems due to the existence of incomplete local streets in the area, introduce new housing units, create more job opportunities and make efficient use of the land which was achieved in the long term.

Question Two

Good planning practices should address all the current needs of a community while striving to achieve the visionary comprehensive plan of the city by coming up with a plan and working towards the achievement of their goal; urban planners always ensure that they have a desired, lasting and valuable impact. Gateway centre before its renewal was a state that needed the proposed renewal plan given that it was closer to the central business district of Minneapolis. The initiative was taken by the planners to set up a housing project and demolish the existing neighbourhoods was aimed at improving the living standards of the individuals within the regional centre, eliminate prostitution and drug addiction through the creation of a shopping centre which probably created employment for them. The proposed renewal plan was respectful to the public policy and the current conditions, the vision of the city, responsibilities of the region, local preferences and market reality, thus, as a planner I would advocate for such a plan without hesitation.

Question Three

Fordism entails an overall description of mass production and how productivity can be intensified. According to Joachim, Fordism helped in solving the international crisis, which was related to the state management of demand and various policies of consumption and fiscal. The historicized shift from Fordism to post Fordism has been used in discussions which involve the Britain government while at the same time, offering explanations on how the unelected agencies are involved in influencing the fortune of local areas. In Fordism, the management was centralized, hierarchical and bureaucratic while in post-Fordism it is devolved and performance-driven. According to Brenner and Theodore, the Fordism forms of managing demand were neglected, and the managerial redistributive functions of both the national and subnational agencies which were deemed traditional, abandoned.

On the other hand, post-Fordism results in the evaluation of the capacity of a national state to regulate trade, the flow of investments and money. Additionally, the strategies aimed at promoting territorial competitiveness are mobilized in this entrepreneurial city, internationalization and innovations of technology are used for the development of networked governance where there are both public and private partnerships. An instance of post-Fordism occurred in Third Italy, first Italy entailed large scale mass production such as Milan and second Italy was a description of the undeveloped South.

Question five (selected)

The urban revitalization initiative entails the improvement of features within the urban environment, for instance, the pavement quality and the use of sidewalks. Also, the projects can improve the engagement of the community through a total occupation of the public spaces and as a result, offer new entertainment facilities such as parks. Besides, a project can aim at preparing and adjusting parts of the city to achieve a  desired economic function. Consequently, urban revitalization leads to the creation of conditions that efficient in any municipality, improved quality of life, and an economically stable environment. Mason city, for instance, has had a lot of ongoing projects such as the Bushel boy, Econolodge hotel, Golden grain energy expansion, mall developments and Talon which generally constitute urban revitalization. The initiation of these projects aims at promoting innovation and improving the economy of the city. In as much as some of the projects are large and complex, their primary purpose is to reorganize the city in such a way that they would achieve their economic and social goals.