Quote:
Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski
The Wire was fiction I suppose, but written by someone who knows the city’s problems. The over arching point being, our cities are pretty fucked. And the system is stacked against anyone trying to change it.
Where the gov is now don’t hold your breath.
On the other hand Detroit has had major development. I think a few local business people invested and started it, but downtown D today is probably busier than it was in the 50’s. Still there are huge parts that remain really fucked up.
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Cities are a concentrated demonstration of the increasing delta between low skill labor needed and low skill labor available. The center attracts professionals and those who work in high end services. Ringing this are neighborhoods filled with excess labor supply.
The same thing is occurring in the suburbs. Low skill labor areas suffer under a vicious cycle. People lose jobs, then homes, then housing prices fall and there’s flight. Those who can run to tonier neighboring towns.
At least in cities, bargain hunters will flood into cheap areas and improve them. In suburbs, and particularly exburbs, once the flight occurs, the only people who come in are speculators looking for cheap rental properties. A community of suburban renters is fucked. No property tax base, so shitty schools. It’s the worst kind of transient community. Mid Atlantic is pock marked with these types of places.
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