I've touched on this topic before. I think it is an often overlooked aspect
of evolutionary urban life. Depending upon one's perspective, the conflict
and its resolution serve as grounds for a tribute to or a diatribe against
the "natural" forces of democracy. Flour mills are dusty, and idling trucks
can be a nuisance. Eventually democratic forces will expell the nuisances
from our back yards. Flour mills and idling trucks per se do not vote, their
neighbors do.
In the beginning, most cities are formed for their commercial attributes,
not their residential amenities. Mpls was lumber mills first, followed in
time by flour mills. The hydridization of the two led to a burgeoning barrel
making industry, which developed into a diverse packaging industry, etc.,
etc. The jobs drew people. At first, the prized residential areas were
those closest to the jobs. People could walk to work, eventually people rode
to work via street cars. The initial industrial base began to offer
opportunities for other merchants, grocers, hardwaremen, doctors, lawyers
etc to meet the other needs of the workers. The proportion of workers
directly tied to the industries, as opposed to all other workers living in
the city declined. The wealthier, and the less connected to the job site
workers did not need to be as close to the mills as others, so they migrated
to the outreaches of the city, to Lowry Hill and the Whittier neighborhood
on the south and west. Away from the hustle and bustle, noise and dirt.
Eventually, there were a lot of people who did not need to be close. The
electorate began to persuade and/or demand that the most eggregious
nuisances move, so they did. I suspect rendering plants may have been among
the first. Forced to the suburbs, or outer reaches. Still close enough to
benefit from the population density or "access to markets." And an
ongoing process that continues to this day began. The economic source of the
city, it's job base was slowly but inexorably exported to the fringes.
First the eggregious offenders, and ultimately most non office tower jobs.
Leaving behind the functionally obsolescent facilities that once served as
the city's economic engine. These delapidated acres of once fertile economic
sustanence are eventually "rediscovered." The riverfront re-emerges this
time as an amenity to attract people. Instead of factories, condo's are
built. In other areas, with less amenities, instead of factories, low income
housing is built. The economic engine of this city, shifts from its
manufcturing and distribution base to its commercial and finance base. This
is largely fitting in the evolving national economy. What's left behind
however are the demographic artifacts of the past. The workers whose
careers are not found in the glass towers downtown. The people for whom
proximity to the job place and/or concentrated availibility to services
esential to their specifc needs. There is an imbalance within the city in
the make-up of the city's work force and its job base. It's easier to build
housing, then a diversified economy. Re-elections are won by greasing the
sqeaky wheels through effective citizen representation and the removal of
blighting influences. It is a process. It operates almost as if it has a
life of its own. Perhaps it does.
I feel a book coming on, so I will stop here with a point or two. Cities
created suburbs by banning industries. People left cities to be close to
jobs in the suburbs. Suburbs flourished. Decayed portions of cities become
rediscovered. New urban housing attracts empty nesters. People live in
cities for their cultural and other amenities rather than their original
economic base. There are hundreds of implications.
Musing in Nokomis East,
Earl Netwal
Enjoying <http://www.unitoday/etn> life with healthy
supplementation and a great hobby.
Earl Netwal ETN Covers and Independent Usana Distributor
5344 36th Ave S
<http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?Pyt=Tmap&addr=5344+36th+Ave+S&csz=Minneapo
lis%2C+MN+55417&country=us>
Minneapolis, MN 55417
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.unitoday.net/etn
tel: 612-724-4392
<http://www.plaxo.com/signature> Signature powered by Plaxo
<http://www.plaxo.com/signature> Want a signature like this?
<https://www.plaxo.com/add_me?u=4295259900&v0=581478&k0=2037342478> Add me
to your address book...
REMINDERS:
1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If
you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL
PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list.
2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html
For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract
________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn
E-Democracy
Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org
Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
