Progress Towards Just Cities - Theme Cities: Solutions for Urban Problems - page 90

and is less than the subsidies given to the house-owning classes through the tax
policies that allow mortgage interest payments to be set against tax. This means the
owners of houses benefit more than the poor from government policies in this area,
which is less than just.

3﻽5﻽2﻽2 Economic Development Programmes

It is suggested that programmes created by governments, or with their support,
should not only focus on their capacity to increase absolute employment and
provide more tax returns. Instead, they should encourage developments that are
attractive and career-enhancing for workers, instead of projects based on busi-
nesses with minimum wages or part-time employment with few benefits and poor
conditions of work. Also, since it is well known that more of the money that
local and independent businesses receive is more likely to be spent locally, in-
stead of being sent to the remote head offices of national chains, there should be
a bias to local businesses, creating greater income circulation both locally and
regionally. In addition, these ownerships usually provide a greater contribution
to the development of local managerial and entrepreneurial skills, and contribute
far more to local activities through sponsorships and community involvement. It
is also recommended that such projects should be subject to incremental growth,
with several developers involved to avoid monopolies, and with space being made
available for any existing businesses that are displaced or even disadvantaged by
such developments.

3﻽5﻽2﻽3 Active Scrutiny of Megaprojects

These projects are usually developed by outside international interests whose prin-
cipal concern is profit. Their impacts should be more carefully scrutinized to reveal
not only the benefits they provide in jobs and conditions of service to low income
workers, but also the amenities provided to the public, such as additional, accessible
open space. All too often public money has been used to assist private corpora-
tions, whether shopping centres or sports stadiums, with few returns to the public
sector, even when huge profits are made by these enterprises. Fainstein ( 2010 ) has
provided a very good summary of the redevelopment of the Yankees' major baseball
stadium in New York, which not only cost tax payers a great deal of money but also
led to the loss of valuable park land for the local population.

3﻽5﻽2﻽4 Relocations

Fainstein suggests that no housing or commercial development should be invol-
untarily relocated for economic development, or to promote diversity. If people or
businesses have to be moved, then adequate compensation for renters, as well as