Urban decay is the degeneration of parts of cities and large towns usually as the result of structural economic change and its associated effects of depopulation, property abandonment, social problems, crime, and a desolate and unfriendly urban landscape.

Introduction

Urban decay is usually associated with western cities and with the 1970’s and 1980’s when western cities experienced major upheavals in their economic bases. In Western Europe and North America the loss of manufacturing jobs in the 1970’s to the developing world acted as a catalyst for the process of suburbanisation (suburbanization) and more decentralised development patterns which had begun decades earlier, mainly as a result of the increased popularity of the private motor vehicle allowing for more complex journey patterns not reliant on public transport.

Although not uniquely a western experience the effects run counter to the experience of most cities in the less developed world where slums are usually located on the outskirts of cities.

Causes

The primary cause remains structural economic change and resulting unemployment in manufacturing centres with the knock on effects this has on service and retail sectors.

In North America this manifested itself in strip malls, suburban retail and employment centres and very low density housing estates. Alongside large areas of many northern cities in the United States experiencing rapid population decreases and a degradation of urban areas.

The Western European experience differed in that the effect was often assisted by public sector policy’s designed to clear 18th and 19th century slum areas and movements of people out into state subsidised lower density suburban housing.

Case Study

Britain experienced severe urban decay in the 1970s and 80s. Major cities like Glasgow in Scotland, the towns of the South Wales valleys and major English cities like Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and the East of London all experienced population decreases with very large areas of 19th century housing experiencing market collapse in terms of prices. The monetarist policies of the Thatcher period exacerbated the effect as Laissez-Faire policies encouraged less planned approaches to development and withdrew state help designed to assist urban areas.

Effects

The most visible effect of urban decay is the degradation of urban areas, the abandonment of buildings and not re-constructing buildings after damage by fire etc. Graffiti, litter and squatting of properties is common. These very visible effects are the symptoms of greatly reduced property values, and massive population losses.

Case Study

The car (Automobile) manufacturing sector was the base for Detroit’s prosperity and employed the majority of its residents. When this industry declined the city experienced quite unbelievable levels of population loss with associated urban decay. In 1950 the cities population was according to US census around 1.7 million by 2003 this had declined to 911,000 a loss of nearly 800,000 people or 47%.

The major British Cities also experienced significant population losses, the worst effected being Glasgow and Liverpool.

Remedy

The main responses to urban decay have been through positive public intervention and policy, through a plethora of initiatives, funding streams and agencies, and the effects of New Urbanism. The process of Gentrification cannot be underestimated and remains the primary means of a ‘natural’ remedy.

In the United States where land is not such a pressured resource, many urban areas have yet to remedy these issues. Development of southern and western cities such as Los Angeles have not helped the older industrial cities to regenerate.

In Western Europe where land is much less in supply and urban areas are generally recognised as the drivers of the new information and service economies urban regeneration has become a quasi industry in itself, with hundreds of agencies and charities set up to tackle the problem.

Case Study

Most British Cities have experienced what has been termed 'Urban Renaissance '. Injections of European Union and United Kingdom funds have in many cases kick started regeneration through improvements in the urban environment and state assistance in land reclamation. 18th century Canals and Docks are often used to create expensive modern inner city flats and old railway yards and derelict industrial sites have been regenerated by ‘Urban Renewal Companies’ and ‘Regional Development Agencies’ to provide mixed use developments with public art and high quality streetscapes. Most cities in Britain have been successful in encouraging people back into the city centres, although Liverpool, Sheffield and Glasgow have found this harder. Most practitioners would agree that Britain’s city centres have turned a corner, although the inner cities around the Central Business Districts and lower density suburban areas continue to suffer from blight and urban decay.

Pop Culture and Urban Decay

To some urban decay is seen as quite ‘cool’ with a major cosmetics label and smaller clothing labels using the term in their marketing. A quick internet search reveals bands, cartoon strips and assorted gifts associated with the term.

Further Reading

An excellent column on US urban decay can be read here; [1]