Urban Change: Approaching Cities

Geog 161 Urban Change: Approach to the City

Overview of the Course

  • Title: Geog 161 Urban Change

  • Artwork: Edward Hopper, 1946, 'Approaching a City'

Guiding Questions & Plan

  • What does it mean to ‘approach’ cities from an academic perspective?

  • How can we see historical change in cities?

  • What is one of the most foundational approaches in urban studies?

  • Cities as exemplars of their times

  • Key academic approaches

  • Cities as historical processes

  • The Chicago School’s approach

Approaching Cities as Exemplar of Their Times

  • Narrative Description: The concept of approaching cities is vividly illustrated through a metaphor involving a descent in a jet plane towards Dubai.

    • The narrator describes the sight of a chrome forest of skyscrapers, comparing it to a new Tower of Babel, heightened to an impossible height that surpasses the Empire State Building.

    • Evokes a sense of wonder mixed with adrenaline as the plane lands, followed by leisure activities such as snowboarding despite the extreme heat of 105 degrees.

    • This description by Mike Davis of contemporary Dubai reflects the awe and complexity of modern urban landscapes.

Approaching Cities with Attraction & Revulsion

  • Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867): His poem “The Eyes of the Poor” (published 1869) during the Haussmannization of Paris (1853-1870) examines these dynamics.

    • Key Figures in the Poem: A weary man, a little boy, and another weak child, observed as they contemplate a new café. Their confrontation with wealth leads to feelings of shame associated with consumerism.

    • Emphasizes human connections and societal disparities experienced by different socio-economic classes.

Academic ‘Approaches’ in Urban Studies

  • Definition: Ways of thinking about & analyzing a phenomenon, characterized by specific concepts that inform how urban problems and opportunities are understood and acted upon.

  • Key Concepts:

    • Urbanization: The increasing population and growth of cities.

    • Development: The process of urban growth and transformation.

    • Urbanism: The culture and lifestyle associated with city living.

    • Planning: The organized approach to urban development and land use.

  • These concepts are crucial for understanding the character of cities and their transformations over time.

Philosophers Analyzing Urban Change

Walter Benjamin (1892-1940)

  • Context: German philosopher known for The Arcades Project (Passagenwerk), spanning from 1927 to 1940.

  • Concepts: Benjamin grapples with the allure of urban life against the backdrop of poverty and exploitation.

    • His attraction to cities' bright lights and luxurious aspects contrasts sharply with his Marxist critique of decadence, vanity, and oppression within capitalist society.

  • Quote: “…his heart and his sensibility draw him irresistibly toward the city’s bright lights… but he cannot resist one last look down the boulevard… he wants to be saved, but not yet.”

Friedrich Engels (1820-1895)

  • Context: Engels provides key insights into urban environments, particularly in London.

    • His observations reveal the grandeur and industrial strength of cities juxtaposed with the suffering underlying their development.

  • Key Quote: Describes the impressive view of the Thames and the clustering of ships while later reflecting on the human suffering that underlies this grandeur.

Understanding Urban Change Through Historical Examples

  • Chicago’s Historical Population Growth (1860-2010): Charts the population rise showing the dynamics of immigration and domestic migration.

    • The different origins of the population contribute to the city's evolving identity and structure.

  • Chicago School of Urban Sociology: Indicates a foundational approach to urban studies that uses the city as an ecological system.

    • Core Elements:

    • Competition & Cooperation: Dynamics between different groups within the urban landscape.

    • Territory: The concept of spatial organization within cities.

    • Symbiosis: Interdependencies among city dwellers and environments.

    • Natural Areas: Evolution of distinct social and geographical areas within the city.

    • Invasion and Succession: The cycle of neighborhoods changing over time as different groups move in and out.

    • Community: The social relationships that form within urban areas.

Chicago School Methodologies

  • Methods employed include:

    • Surveys: Gathering quantitative data for analysis of urban life.

    • Ethnography: Immersive, qualitative studies observing city life and cultures.

    • Field Work: Hands-on investigation within urban environments.

    • Modeling: Creating theoretical representations of urban phenomena.

Park & Burgess Model of Urban Sociology

  • Components of the Model:

    1. Central Business District

    2. Zone of Transition

    3. Zone of Independent Workers' Homes

    4. Zone of Better Residences

    5. Commuter's Zone

  • Model Visual: Displays of how urban areas are structured and organized based on socio-economic status and proximity to the city's core.

Critical Considerations in Urban Studies

  • Critical Thinking: Encouraged to interrogate provided narratives regarding urban environments:

    • Where has the story been set?

    • Who are the protagonists in urban narratives?

    • Who or what has been excluded from study?

    • What spaces or communities remain unrecognized?

  • Take Home Points:

    • Cities are dynamic social and spatial formations that undergo continuous change.

    • Different intellectual approaches serve as lenses to focus on distinct urban processes.

    • The need for critical analysis of the approaches used in urban studies.