Cityscape Looks at Diverse Urban Neighborhoods/HUD USER fwd
Tom Boland (wgcp@earthlink.net)
Fri, 23 Oct 1998 18:07:09 -0400
FWD 23 Oct 1998 from HUD USER
Reply-To: hudusernews@aspensys.com
Our Nation is quickly approaching a time when racial and ethnic diversity
will be the norm. Even a cursory analysis of demographic trends reveals that
by the middle of the 21st century, no ethnic or racial majority will exist
in the United States. By 2050, when today's minorities will comprise more
than one-half the population, will our cities and neighborhoods be more
segregated-or even balkanized? Will members of each racial and ethnic group
clash in a fight for resources? Or will we peacefully coexist by sharing
resources and working toward the common good?
The latest issue of Cityscape offers some answers to these questions by
examining 14 ethnically and racially diverse neighborhoods in 9 U.S. cities.
By analyzing the factors that have helped create and maintain diversity, it
provides clues to building and sustaining such neighborhoods.
The researchers found that the communities that sustained diversity the
longest had become integrated as an outgrowth of the civil rights movement
of the 1950s and 1960s. The communities that became diverse more recently
did not seek to become diverse. Rather, they became that way as a result of
social and economic forces initially beyond their control, such as
gentrification, poor real estate markets, changes in neighborhood
composition (such as aging, revitalization of adjacent areas, an influx of
immigrants, or the development of affordable housing).
Both types of communities offer positive alternatives to segregated
neighborhoods. "If more support for diverse neighborhoods is
forthcoming-from government as well as the private sector-we can create
communities that accommodate or embrace the increased diversity that will
exist in the future," conclude the researchers. "If more support is not
provided, we may see a society that increasingly hides behind walled
communities in the city or in exclusive communities outside the city."
There is no magical solution to end segregation and create stable, diverse
neighborhoods. According to the researchers, the proper public policy,
effective leadership, and strong community-based organizational networks can
help such communities grow and multiply.
The latest issue of Cityscape is now available from the HUD USER Web Site
at: http://www.huduser.org/publications/periodicals/cityscpe/index.html.
Copies may also be ordered from HUD USER for $5.00 each.
To order a publication from HUD USER, simply go to the HUD USER Homepage at:
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You can also order publications from HUD USER by contacting us at:
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1-800-245-2691
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