Cities - engines of inequality?
Many people recognize that cities are contradictory places of growth and exclusion; prosperity and inequality. See this video, for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE_JEpzrUH0
A recent report produced by the OECD, entitled 'Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Rising', had the following to say: 'In the three decades prior to the recent economic downturn, wage gaps widened and household income inequality increased in a large majority of OECD countries. This occurred even when countries were going through a period of sustained economic and employment growth.' Click here to watch a video summary of the report's findings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaoGscbtPWU
Cities are the sites of social and spatial inequality. In fact, the recent State of the World's Cities Report 2010/2011 (UN-Habitat) used the framework of 'The Urban Divide' to analyse the complex social, political, economic and cultural dynamics of contemporary urban environments (see the attached pdf file).
In this topic we debate the causes and forms of inequality that pervade cities internationally. Discussion will be guided by the questions:
What drives the production of urban inequality?
What do we mean when we talk about 'unequal cities'?
OECD2011_Divided_we_stand_emerging_economies.pdf288.36 Kb, 36 pagina'sOECD2011_divided_we_stand_main.pdf423.32 Kb, 25 pagina'sUN-Habitat_SOWC10_unequal_cities.pdf131.54 Kb, 2 pagina's
Shady El-Zeiny, 7 May 2012Uncontrolled free market regimes, especially through economic regime transition
James Duminy (Moderator) from South Africa, 7 May 2012Thank you for the comment Shady, do you perhaps know of any examples of how uncontrolled free-market regimes or regime transitions have resulted in increased urban inequality?
Tatiana Celliert Ogliari, 7 May 2012I find this approach very interesting. I come from a country where the level of inequality is quite pronounced. Brazilian cities are great example for me where the market activity is rather uncontrolled.
James Duminy (Moderator) from South Africa, 8 May 2012Dear Tatiana, thank you for the message. The forum guidelines state that posts should be written in English, so I translated your comment.
Here is a link to a publication on inequality in Sao Paulo produced by UN-Habitat as part of its Cities and Citizens Series: http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=2924
The publication says, "...The economy and employment profile of São Paulo are shifting as the city emerges, for some, as a service scentre ‘global city’, and a profound social transition is taking place as the city endorses and develops its vision of inclusiveness. Socio-spatial segregation, severe economic inequalities, a deprived periphery, poorly serviced hinterlands and ruptures between the formal and informal city have become unacceptable politically, economically and morally to residents of Brazil’s largest metropolitan region. Brazil’s re-democratisation process in the 1980s and its economic prowess as South America’s largest economy and the ninth richest economy in the world make its inequalities even less palatable. Even so, Brazil and São Paulo continue to have high levels of income
inequality..."
UN-HABITAT.:. Publicationss
http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=2924
JULIUS OLUJIMI, 9 May 2012James, thank you for moderating this interesting topical issue. Formerly, many are used to the phrase 'CITIES- ENGINES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH'. What can be said to be responsible for this new dimension of 'cities-engines of inequality' is the struggles in cities to accompany the economic feat.This has brought about cities attracting all sort of people -immigrants ( legal and illegal immigrants; skilled and unskilled) struggling for survival. The unskilled, under-employables, unemployables constituting themselves as burdens to the cities ( going into crimes and social vices, turning the peripheries into informal residential zones and slums; and over-stressing insufficient infrastructure. This point to the fact that cities in developing countries must step up planning attention that would meet up with its urbanisation rate. This call for good urban governance.
Tatiana Celliert Ogliari, 9 May 2012Thank you Mr. Duminy for your information about the problem of inequalities in Brazilian cities. In addition to income redistribution policies, we need active management to mitigate the differences between the various urban enclaves. I posted an article on the theme "Productive Areas" which shows some initiatives that seek to reduce some inequalities arising from the real estate valuation.