Economic Influence on Democracy in Public Spaces

Economic decline or advance can be directly correlated with the degree of democracy in public spaces. Chapter 1 of Introduction to Cities: How Place and Space Shape Human Experience states:

Cities are...the centers of the world's economy. They are not only sites of production, where industries cluster, but also the central nodes in service and distribution networks and the command points from which economic decisions are made. (Chen, X., Orum, A. M., & Paulsen, K. E.; pg. 7).

This can be seen by the state of a city's parks, schools, streets, sidewalks, and other public spaces. Public space can be defined as "open and accessible to every person in a society, in particular to the inhabitants of that society." (Chen, X., Orum, A. M., & Paulsen, K. E.; pg.22). Economic decline or advance in the city as a whole or the particular community the public space exists in have a direct influence on the lives of the people residing in the area.

In every city, a community's resources are important in facilitating democracy in the area. During times of economic advance, people can afford to spend more time advocating for the issues in their community and beyond and can pool together their collective resources, money and connections, to get their voices heard. During times of economic decline, however, people are more preoccupied with making ends meet for themselves and their families than they are with democratic issues. People from lower-income neighborhoods aren't provided with the necessary resources to make their voices heard.

While economic distress can lead to groups of people to stand up and take action to fight against injustices in their community, economic growth fosters democracy at all levels, with a wider range of organizations and movements occurring. Some of the resources more prominent during economic growth include donations to support local candidates, throwing events to raise awareness and funding, organizing groups for canvassing and petition signing, and advertising for events and groups, and much more that requires the generation of wealth and networking.

Corporations and wealthy individuals can always use their own economic resources to influence democracy, even influencing public spaces, which is one reason we have seen an increase in the privatization of space. During times of economic growth, individuals from several different walks of life have greater access to resources to join together against adversity, at both the local and national levels.

Chapter 1 of Introduction to Cities: How Place and Space Shape Human Experience states "Culture, power, nature, resources - these and other factors affect the ways that places become what they are, and human beings are always at the helm." (Chen, X., Orum, A. M., & Paulsen, K. E.; pg. 8). The influence on public spaces is complex, and often one that fairs much better for those areas generating wealth, leaving behind those in low-income neighborhoods lacking the resources to have their voices heard.

My hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana has gone through many changes in recent years, due to a great degree of gentrification in the downtown area, driven by the Downtown Improvement District. According to their website, The City of Fort Wayne created the Downtown Revitalization Grant Program to help improve downtown Fort Wayne's competitiveness in attracting and retaining businesses, encourage private commercial and residential reinvestment, stimulate redevelopment, and increase downtown property values. (Downtown Revitalization Grant Program; 2016).

This initiative has changed the landscape and the social lives of not only downtown, but also the surrounding communities. When I was growing up in Fort Wayne, the downtown area was far more desolate and quiet, with only a few popular locations to eat and shop. The sidewalks were not bustling as they are today, and were certainly not perceived as safe after the sun went down. However, since the revitalization of downtown, several shops, restaurants, and bars have flocked to the area, and the historic West Central neighborhood is a desirable place to live. The gentrification of the neighborhood has certainly brought wealth to the area, bringing more construction and better schools, but it has also had an undesirable effect on those no longer able to afford living there. Several families have been displaced from the area as property values and rent skyrocket, and long-time businesses in the area have been forced to close their doors. The homeless that used to reside in Headwater's Park and under the bridges have faced challenges related to periodic sweeps or their belongings being thrown away during city clean-up initiatives, and the homeless shelters have been unable to accommodate them all. Crime in the surrounding areas of downtown has also increased.

Economic growth and increased democracy in one area can directly influence an economic decline in another area. In turn, these other areas struggle even more than before in getting their voices heard. If we are to move forward in making the city a desirable place for everyone to live, we must find ways to address the inequity of economic growth and democracy in all regions of a city.

Sources:

Downtown Revitalization Grant Program. (2016). Retrieved August 24, 2017, from http://www.fwcommunitydevelopment.org/downtowngrant

Chen, X., Orum, A. M., & Paulsen, K. E. (2013). Introduction to Cities: How Place and Space Shape Human Experience. Wiley-Blackwell.

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