Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
changes, linked to political decisions that have led to freer trade, has created an
unparalleled, interconnected and competitive world. One set of centres, the global
command centres, sometimes called world cities, have been the ones to profit the
most. They boomed after a period of stagnation of the 1980s, due to the growth of
specific economic sectors—especially producer services, such as finance—and the
innovative activities produced in the new economy. They also gain impetus from
their roles as centres of consumption, politics and culture. Yet within these prosper-
ous centres there is a growing gap between those with wealth—people with high
levels of education and technical skills, or with inherited or offshore money—and
the rest of the population. This latter group is not simply composed of the growing
numbers of the poor and impoverished, but those with limited skills and educa-
tion who work in such industries as the fast food and personal service occupations
for minimum wages. In the past decade it is increasingly obvious that many other
people are also finding themselves on the wrong side of this wealth gap. Rising
housing costs and stagnant, if not reduced, effective wages, given the cost of liv-
ing increases, has meant that many of the essential service workers, in occupations
such as teaching, nursing, police forces etc., can no longer afford to live in the large
central cities. This means they have to engage in longer and longer commutes or
accept lower quality housing.
These inequalities within cities are creating what amounts to a dualism of wealth
and opportunity. Although this trend is occurring in more than in the big cities, its
incidence in these places provides a stark example of the fact that the end of the
twentieth century saw a reversal of the long trend of decreasing socio-economic
inequality, one that was helped by so much progressive legislation in previous de-
cades. This transformation is one of the reasons why there has been an increase
in the number of calls for a greater justice in cities, in which justice is viewed in
redistributive, not in retributive terms, one that addresses the unequal possessions
of different people, not just of goods, but also of their limited power and influence.
This injustice is not simply a matter of these inequalities. The remoteness and com-
plexity of government, even in democratic countries, combined with the power of
large corporations, has led to the increasing unease, even anger of many people,
about existing urban conditions, and their inability to influence changes in these
places in meaningful ways.
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New Solutions for Current Urban Problems
The effect of these and other major changes affecting our urban places have led to
the realization that few of the problems created are being solved in a satisfactory
manner. It has led to a number of alternative, urban-based ideas that are designed
to address these unresolved difficulties. In some cases urban places have actively
sought new economic functions to replace those being lost or under threat; many
others seek to reduce their negative environmental impacts. Some cities have made
determined efforts to enhance the quality of life of residents through various social
