The City, Revisited: Urban Theory from Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

16. Studying Twenty-first Century Cities

Twentieth-century urban theory has proven inadequate to tackle urban issues of the twenty-first century. Even Chicago, home of the Chicago school of urban studies, no longer fits the paradigms of these earlier scholars . These older theories describe cities outside the United States even less well. Today’s cities exhibit different patterns of development, economics, politics, culture, society, and government from the manufacturing-based city of the early twentieth century. The essays in this book do not offer a single uncontested theory that fits all cities and metropolitan regions. There is no single paradigm capable of replacing the one created by the Chicago School. No single hegemonic theory of cities is sufficient for all modern metropolises. The essays in this book demonstrate why the old paradigms are inadequate in the twenty-first century. Recent theories, whether they come under the label of “schools” or not, may help in understanding cities in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, but they are likely to fall short in some key respects. We can be confident that these paradigms are useful in helping us to understand important aspects of urban development in the United States; more than that it is difficult to say. The Development of Urban Theory We believe the essays and empirical evidence presented in this book have demonstrated that any adequate theory would account for the following characteristics: Studying Twenty-first Century Cities n Dick Simpson and Tom Kelly 16 357 Studying Twenty-first Century Cities 1. A metropolitan region in which the center still holds: The twentiethcentury city has metamorphosed into the twenty-first century metropolis .Withinthesemetropolitanregions,boththeforcesof centralization and the forces of fragmentation are occurring at the same time. While central cities remain important, peripheral growth can be consistent with a vibrant center. 2. Multiculturalism: Heterogeneity compels interaction among unlike peoples. When race, poverty, and segregation are highly correlated, conflict is inevitable and governance becomes difficult. Alternatively, multiculturalism is a highly positive feature that confers major advantages in the global economy. 3. Globalization: Each region must be examined not only in relation to its place in the global system, but in terms of its local responses to global forces. The evolution of modern metropolitan regions reflects local constraints, choices, and history. New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles became cities in different historical periods, which is one of the reasons they differ. Accounting for these differences is a central task of urban theory. 4. Comparative research: Where possible, given resource and time limitations , we need to compare cities to fully understand them. Comparing cities allows us to identify both their common characteristics and profound differences. Only from comparisons can we develop and test useful social science theories and paradigms. 5. Multiple theoretical lenses: We begin this book by describing the theories developed by the scholars of the original Chicago School, then follow with the schools that have appeared more recently. As Janet Abu-Lughod urges in her essay, it is our task to test these theories against the empirical realities on the ground. Ultimately, the goal of our search is to find explanations for the urban processes taking place in many different contexts. 6. Politics and governmental institutions: Metropolitan regions are not formed solely by impersonal social and economic forces. Human agency, operating through established institutions and protest organizations like Janitors for Justice, which Amy Bridges describes in her 358 Dick Simpson and Tom Kelly essay, helps determine urban policies and urban development. A key question, especially in the United States, is whether there is sufficient political and governmental capacity at the local level to provide adequate governance and leadership in the twenty-first century. These categories are helpful because they emphasize an inclusive approach. In the past, urban theory has often been hampered by the tendency to regard a single city or metropolitan form as the archetype for all other places, and by an exclusive focus on cities in the United States. Comparative studies that include cities in the United States and in other countries are certain to make urban theory more robust and complete. A Metropolitan Region in Which the Center Still Holds From the perspective of the United States, it is obvious that the expansion beyond formal city boundaries makes it increasingly difficult for local governments to govern effectively. In every large metropolitan region there are hundreds of towns, villages, and special districts. Nonetheless, the center still holds. These metropolitan regions remain anchored by central...