Unit 6 Chapters 10-11

6.10 – Challenges of Urban Changes

Key Concepts

Urban areas are constantly changing due to growth, decline, and redevelopment—these changes bring challenges.

Major Urban Change Challenges

1. Housing Discrimination

  • Practices like redlining, blockbusting, and racial steering limit housing access for marginalized groups.

  • Leads to segregation and unequal access to resources.

2. Uneven Development

  • Investment is concentrated in wealthy areas while poor neighborhoods are neglected.

  • Can increase inequality and social unrest.

3. Gentrification

  • Wealthier people move into formerly lower-income areas.

  • Pros: Revitalization, increased services.

  • Cons: Displacement of original residents, rising rents.

4. De Facto Segregation

  • Segregation that happens in practice, not law (e.g., based on income, race).

5. Urban Decay and Disinvestment

  • As people and businesses leave, areas decline economically and socially.

  • Often leads to blight, vacant lots, and crime.

6. Suburbanization & Sprawl

  • People move to suburbs, leaving behind aging infrastructure and declining tax bases in cities.

6.11 – Challenges of Urban Sustainability

Key Concepts

Sustainable cities must manage environmental, economic, and social issues—this is not always easy.

Challenges to Urban Sustainability

1. Pollution

  • Air, water, noise, and solid waste pollution increase with urban growth.

  • Health impacts are often greatest in low-income areas.

2. Traffic Congestion

  • Car dependency leads to long commutes, time loss, and pollution.

3. Waste Management

  • Urban areas produce huge amounts of waste.

  • Cities must plan for recycling, composting, and landfill use.

4. Heat Islands

  • Urban areas are hotter than rural ones due to buildings, pavement, and lack of greenery.

5. Food Deserts

  • Areas with limited access to affordable, nutritious food—often found in low-income neighborhoods.

6. Affordability

  • Rising housing costs in urban areas push out lower-income residents, creating inequality.

7. Infrastructure Strain

  • Aging water, transportation, and energy systems can’t keep up with rapid population growth.

8. Climate Change Resilience

  • Cities must plan for flooding, heat waves, and other climate risks.

Review Questions

6.10 – Challenges of Urban Changes

  1. What is gentrification and why is it controversial?

  2. How does housing discrimination still affect cities today?

  3. What is the difference between de facto segregation and legal segregation?

  4. Describe one consequence of urban disinvestment.

  5. How does suburbanization impact the economic health of central cities?

6.11 – Challenges of Urban Sustainability

  1. What is an urban heat island and what causes it?

  2. Why is traffic congestion a sustainability issue?

  3. Define a food desert and explain why it’s a problem.

  4. How can aging infrastructure be a challenge for sustainable cities?

  5. Name one way cities can improve resilience to climate change.