Honest Graft

Source: Plunkitt
Meaning: Honest Graft is to Plunkitt, anyhow, taking advantage of inside information about city
properties or water rights (see where city will need things), buy at auction and resell at higher
price; take advantage of political position “legally” not in criminal code where racketeering and
prostitution occurs, no gamblers, bribes, ect; that’s Dishonest graft and fairly stupid…thats what
boss tweed did so difference between them.
Significance: these are illegal today (both honest and dishonest graft).

The City as Process,

Source: Rethinking the Theory and Practice of Local Economic Development by Richard C.
Schragger (Process discussion begins P. 318) based on Jane Jacobs Death and Life of American
cities
Meaning: Cities are not byproducts nor products because these two outcomes solely focus on
technological advancements and economic competition, respectively. Cities are instead a process
because it requires fluid, interrelated factors, with an open local economy which would be more
efficient that depending on just one industry or firm. (P. 333) Growth and decline happens in
bursts, order in cities is a result of the natural disorder of urban life. Detroit, capital of auto
industry and then collapses and doesn’t create new industry so declines as car manufacturing
goes away to other parts of world. Look at east village in SD, affordable housing now gone with
Petco Park and highrises, lets get homeless out (gentrification).
Tiebout- Cities need to attract voters by providing correct menu of services people want,
they will come or urban flight. When these services are provided the cities will attract
people. Cities will compete to provide services.
Krugman- local stimulus for growth with local incentives (319). What cities can do to
incentivise local government growth, local community population inflows.
Jacobs- Make cities livable and safety, knowledge of one another or subsidized housing is
dangerous. Small changes can lead to failure. Argued that one way to get more people is to
provide safe communities where people have knowledge of each other. Explained why
subsidized public housing became so dangerous.
Significance: “A city is neither a product to be sold in the local government marketplace nor a
byproduct of distance-changing technologies. The city is a spatial economic process, a part of a
larger urban system. That urban system—like all economic systems—is beset by booms and
busts. Any set of local policies must take this fact into account.” (Schragger, P. 339) If don’t
understand how city came to be, won’t be able to understand how to fix it with errors. There are
things that occur that planners cannot plan on.
Mornin' Glories
Source: Plunkitt of Tammany Hall Article (P 14) Course Key Feb 6 Quiz
Meaning: Reformers who attempt to fight the political machine but whither away because they
are too idealist, and without the machines there is no necessity for the reformer to exist. You
can’t survive in politics without the necessary training and experience
Significance: Essentially the political machine will trump good faith political organizing...
“And, by the way, what’s become of the good government clubs, the political nurseries of a few
years ago? Do you ever hear of Good Government Club D and P and Q and Z any more? What’s
become of the infants who were to grow up and show us how to govern the city? I know what’s
become of the nursery that was started in my district.” Plunkitt calls like mornin glories pop up
in morning, weather gets hot and fade away… just like reform movements. Plunkitt sometimes
would create fake reform movements to stir things up.

Voter Tax Revolt

Source: Levine Pg 113
Meaning: Residents became unhappy with high level of taxes in urban areas (caused urban
flight). “The citizens’ tax revolt that started in California in 1975 soon spread nationwide and led
the enactment of new state curbs across the nation on local spending and borrowing. California’s
Proposition 13 rolled back property levies to what they had been in earlier years and further
limited any annual increase to just 2 percent. Proposition 13 also required a two-thirds vote by
the citizens for new local taxes, fees, and user charges, a threshold that is exceedingly difficult to
achieve. The measure eased the tax burdens on homeowners. It also impaired the ability of
California municipalities to find the revenues to fund service programs.”
Significance: Property taxes were slashed, in turn schools in california were getting less funding
than ever. California schools went from first in funding to 49th...while some
benefited(homeowners) others lost out.
This is what I got from the text: Some localities engaged in high-risk strategy of borrowing
money to invest in what they thought would be high-return opportunities. If this worked,
investments would yield funds to repay loans as well as additional funds to support local service
provision without the need to impose taxes, but if it failed the municipality would face extreme
fiscal distress. Many school districts had to resort to this in order to get sufficient funding that
was lost from the tax revolt.
Other states like colorado follow (COBOR), lots of states in west.

Civil Service Reform

Source: Lecture Slides from Feb 15, Plunkitt!
Meaning: Testing within federal jobs that only allow the highest scoring individuals to be
considered for higher positions and is the only way to move up throughout the system, therefore
keeping political affiliation out of the deciding process and only taking into consideration merit
Plunkitt said it was a threat to patriotism, curse of nation, etc. Plunkitt hates this, civil service
exams too hard and thus no one would be involved in govt. However, Civil service reform was
created to get qualified and knowledgeable people in charge… Plunkitt’s arguments make the
movement for this type of reform useful: dont want useless people in patronage job.
Significance: Cut off the political machines supply of job patronage. Kept low scoring
individuals from being able to move up and was a way of keeping bosses and their men from
holding higher positions to best fit their needs, unless they cheated by acquiring a form of the test
prior to examination

Urban Regimes: Also called governing regimes

Source: Levine Ch. 4 (Pg. 94)
Meaning: Corporate regimes, development regimes, maintenance regimes, caretaker regimes,
lower class, middle class progressive regimes: Different forms of governing between a
community and government. Urban regime exists when an informal working coalition of
governmental and nongovernmental actors persists over a significant number of years with the
capacity to decide the overall policy direction and projects that a city will pursue. EX.
Government working with developers. Essentially government leaders have power and agenda
but do indeed give a little leeway to their interest groups/donors.
Regime types:
Corporate/Developmental Regime- reflect growth oriented policies preferred by major
corporations and businesses. (Louisville)
Caretaker/Maintenance regime- reflect concerns of small business owners and homeowners who
oppose large growth projects that require tax increases. Focus on keeping the old old and not
reforming new measures
Progressive regime- growth interests take a back seat to HOA’s environmentalists, CDC’s, and
other nonprofits who maintain control of city council. Two variants: middle class regime looks at
financial and environmental costs of growth efforts while lower class regime emphasizes greater
opportunities for all! (Primarily the less fortunate.)
Significance: The emergence of a relatively stable alliance among public officials and private
actors that govern a city from one municipal administration to the next get things done (think
Congress most efficient when parties align).- that’s not a very good comparison because “most
efficient” is a very conditional term...the system of checks and balances was created so that it’s
hard to get anything done regardless of the parties aligning. Additionally, the 3 branches were
created with the intention of non-alignment -- you’re really overthinking this one bud. When the
two parties agree, regardless of checks and balances it’s easier to get things done than if they
don’t agree. GOOGLE DOC WARS!

Political Ingratitude
Source: Plunkitt of Tammany Hall P.22
Meaning: Breaking political promises or going back on promises to district leader. Basically
politicians who aren't loyal, a traitor Some of his rivals so successful Plunkitt run out by strong
people he helped out.
Significance: There are lots of political ingrates (people who use you, break political promises
for their gain), but they are never the ones who stay in power for long. Voters vote liars out.
Today, patronage jobs are illegal to give out because of civil service reform; hence political
ingratitude in today’s term is considered following the law.

Global Cities
Source: Levine Ch. 1 (pg. 5)
Meaning: A worldwide transportation and commerce environment. world centers of corporates
headquarters, banking, and financial service firms in a world where economic activities
transcend national borders. Top three cities: London, Tokyo, New York. Worldwide transport
hub, resources need to exist to be considered important on global scale.
Significance: Ties into globalization, cities are becoming interconnected, less importance of
“borders” in terms of trade. Cities are now in competition with places outside of US as well

Privatism
Source: Levine, Ch. 1 (pg. 16), Sam Warner (Citizens in Philly poor water systems)
Meaning: culture of viewing cities specifically as places where private actors engage in profit
making activities. Serves to keep public planning and governmental authority to a minimum
while maximizing private sector freedom. City official lack ability to dictate goods for urban
development… public officials must gain the involvement of private actors… urban problem
solving requires private partnerships (quiz 1 Q3 answer= “all of these”)
For warner, Philly had water crisis with yellow fever… Warner saw private businesses had
authority to do things whereas local government did not. Private-public sector in SD as make
sure realize business community on board with projects as there is a distrust of government.
Mercantile city = privatist.

Significance:
Dillon’s Rule
Source: Levine, Ch. 5 (namely 106)
Meaning: Cities become creatures of the state. They can't do anything unless they're specifically
authorized to do so by the states in which they reside. A state had the power to destroy a city and
seize it to exist. Cities had no rights, subjected to complete state domination (example: Chicago
is governed by Illinois). A city is a municipal corporation, and thus a fictional person, capable of
suing and being sued, of owning property, and generally being treated by the law as a person,
except that it cannot be imprisoned “Municipalities are the creatures – mere political
subdivisions – of the state for the purpose of exercising a part of its powers. (you mean
MUNICIPALITIES are the creatures of the STATE right? YES, the state is the
controller :) ) They may exert only such powers as are expressly granted to them, or such as
may be necessarily implied from those granted. What they lawfully do of a public character is
done under the sanction of the state.”
Significance: 1868 ruling/finding has basically held true today. States have the ultimate power to
create municipalities (local governments) and whenever there is a question as to if a local
government has power to do something… they don’t. Chicago doesnt even have a home rule
charter, chicago a legacy of Dillon’s rule.

Political Machines
Source: Lecture, Plunkitt, Royko
Meaning: Basically a political group in which a boss commands and supports commands the
support of supporters and businesses, who receive rewards for their efforts of supporting the
political boss. The political machine was an institution designed to take advantage of machine
politics as an incentive system and is shaped a lot like a corporation. Functions within the
capitalist incentive system. Centralized hierarchy, dominated by a boss, which changes input of
votes and contracts in exchange for the output of patronage jobs and government contracts. Fuses
party and government in one institution. Ideal structure for achieving the ideal functions of
machine politics under one single organization. Power oriented rather than policy oriented. Non
ideological and careless of political philosophies but to win elections. Trading of favors in
systematic way. Political machine=corporation, incentive system input=votes, output=patronage,
fuses party and government in one system, monopoly over communities organization; win win
win, don’t really care about ideologies. Mckinley, lincoln, Jackson, FDR, show can be done at
federal level.
Significance: Political machines would literally run entire cities, often circling around the
concern of power rather than policy, which ultimately led to a lot of reform. With much of the
political machines actions in their time being legal today they are not and serve as a way of
understanding that the power they held then could not be achieved today without breaking the
law as a result of the reforms instituted. (i.e. civil service reforms, contract bidding processes,
official bonds, etc.)

Machine Politics
Source: Lecture
Meaning: When you get political corruption, money in exchange for political assets, support in
the form of contributions. Random opportunities for corruption and bribery. Political machine
politics was like a corporation (aka capitalism). Dissimilar from machine; money as an exchange
for political votes.
Significance: Takes advantage of machine politics as an incentive system. Back then, the US
didn’t have social welfare. Political machines served the poor. Concerned with power, not
policy. Traded divisible and tangible benefits (jobs and favors for votes and party work)

Efficient Business Model

Source: Levine/ (according to his zoom)
Meaning: people argued that new city charters would make government jobs not be on patronage
system; aka, people found political machines inefficient because of the patronage jobs likely to
not be given to qualified peoples. Civil service reforms key to making this. New city charters
would create more efficient city structure. The city gets good working service in exchange for its
money, more bang for the buck. Reforms: centralized purchasing, civil service reforms.
Created to get rid of inefficient political machines.
Significance: Means to better society (via private enterprise anyhow) is to install blocks on the
types of promises of political bosses.

Structural Reform
Source: Feb 13 Lecture Slides and Levine Chapter 6. Types (page: 118-120)
Meaning: Civil Service: See civil service reform; Best people recruited into government are
chosen by performance on exams “best and brightest” Nonpartisanship: Kept party labels off of
the ballot, forcing voters to pay more attention to individual candidates rather than go in blindly
voting for the party slate as urged by political machines centralized purchasing, executive
budgeting created to stop Tammany Hall contract rules open public meeting (to end nepotism
and political machine ability to give jobs). Advertise job, qualified people bid, lowest responsible
bid gets contract for the job SEND HELP
Forms: Aussie Ballot (in secret/no selfies), office bloc ballot (listed by office), direct primary
(candidates nominated by voter and not machine bosses), non-partisanship and crossfilling (no
party affiliation on ballots), at large elections (blocks/wards precincts play less role), contribution
regulations (can't just buy election), party rules and criminalization of voter fraud (no stuff of boxes).
Significance: All of these structural reforms were enforced to limit the power of political
machines. By creating these structural reform obstacles, along with moral, social, and
developmental reforms, political machines ceased to exist.

Commissions and Managers

Source: Levine pg 15 Zoom
Meaning: Commissions and City Managers, while they do have some powers are often
influenced or constrained by private interests...the better city governments with work in tandem
with the private sector to reach common goals.
Talking about organizational reform, commission plan charters where city has commissioners
who make up legislative branch but when separate serve as executives, in a way parliamentary.
Legislative and executive role same people
Manager plan model: let them only be legislative but select a managerial/executive to be
seperate. Good manager would remove the graft. COUNCIL MANAGER SYSTEM MOST
POPULAR FORM FOR CITIES TODAY. Let the city council be the only legislative body and
let them hire their own professional managers that will implement the policies the council has
enacted on its own.
Significance: City Managers and Commissions have little real power unless they can cooperate
with each others interests and with the private sector... “manager, city council members, and
other top municipal officials— by itself yields only a very incomplete and misleading
understanding of how politics is played in the local arena. City officials are often constrained by
the decisions made by private actors and by concerns for local competitiveness.” Agreed

Anti-urban ethos
Source: first 2 lecture slides!
Meaning: Ambivalence towards urban life. Pastoral life is more pleasant and wholesome*.
People wanted out of the cities as evident in the music we evaluated in class, Jefferson’s concept
of the Yeoman farmer as an ideal seems to be a big characteristic
Significance: I would contend that this concept of “americans despising” the city will be a theme
in this course. Q2 of first course key evaluates that pastoral life is valorized over city dwelling,
agriculture seems more wholesome, and urban life is associated with crime corruption and
decadence.

Local Fragmentation
Source:Levine pg 105
Meaning: States create a multitude of local jurisdictions and municipal offices, each of which
possess limited amounts of power. I.E the mayor of a city shares powers with several boards and
commissions( parks, police, fire, etc). The mayor must convince others to act in conjunction with
them. Cities were subject to many checks and balances because power was split between many
entities. Nothing could get done, too decentralized (example: commissions for street, water,
police, garbage etc.) Too fragmented. Cities broken down so much, very decentralized so early
city charters that were weak-mayor charters with lots of commissions made hard for anything to
get done fragmented,
Significance: Mayors have limited amount of power and so the fragmented powers have to work
together for common goals. No one agency has significantly more power than another. Again,
tied into Dillon’s rule; cities are mere creatures of state and rely on them for any blessing of
power.

Trolley
Source: Is a source (was a film we viewed in class). TROLLEY: The Cars That Built Our
Cities
Meaning: - The discussion of transportation systems and the way in which cities developed from
old systems of rail to electrical trolley systems. Significance below sufficient, also read
transcript:
Significance: This film was significant in terms of the class as it allowed us to look at the
differences alongside changes in transportation methods which in turn were a causation for
suburban migration as peoples could move away from the “dirty cities” in favor of suburban
areas which are developed with an “anti-urban ethos.” These were the “cars that built our city”
*Can be watched and evaluated for an extra credit opp. Transcript is available on Bb.
Realize Omnibus of 1830’s in France -> modern day trolley system, might evaluate some of the
technological changes that occured; downfall and slow attempts of revival due to automotive
industry. 1870’s= elevated trains only worked in big cities like new york/chicago, made them
even bigger. Cable car: not a new tech, miners had been using; innovated in S.F. with grip to
make stop and go stops. Electric trolley in 1906 ends cable car era. Eventual monopolistic
companies soon discovered that by issuing free transfers between lines, more than enough
additional riders would take the cars to make up for the fares lost, and ridership soared. Trolleys
first for work movement; then idea for tourism tracks. Mass production of road cars was what
killed trolley after WWI. Trolleys try to fight it by making bigger car capacity but no chance vs
privatism in autos, hence think these people already wanted out of city!

Latent Functions:
Source: Robert Merton’s “Latent Function of the Machines”
Meaning: Political patronage, bossism, bribery and “honest graft”1. Page 496 paragraph 3
2. - Organization, persuasion, lobbying, mobilization and local state building
. The key structural function of the boss was to organize, centralize, and maintain the machine in
good working conditions, that were scattered throughout the machine. The boss would keep
these going and focus on meeting the needs of diverse subgroups in larger communities where
the law itself could not satisfy these needs. This further adds to the boss and machine having to
do “illegal” things to help the people. FROM ASSESSMENT: political machines created social
mobility paths and humanized, personalized welfare assistance MACHINE ARISES AS NO
MECHANISM FOR TALENTED PEOPLE TO DO ANYTHING OR GET ANYTHING
DONE. Political machine would come in to provide social mobility, welfare state, broker deals,
centralize power and get decisions done. Informal= no actual voting for Boss’s
Significance: These latent functions have to go “under the radar” since many of them are illegal
but are important because they gave them the opportunity to hold so much power and credibility
amongst many diverse subgroups of people, which, however, led to reforms that instituted means
for them to not be able to do this. Delivered benefits before welfare was created. Political
machine emerged due to the need for many city functions that were not being performed. No
social welfare system, no social mobility, no centralization, no public institutions etc.

Suburban Movements
Source: Levine P. 243 ***-I think this contribution is overthought. See purple for what I
anticipate to be expected
Meaning: The movement from center urban sprawls to outskirts of the city, more remote areas
where development was underway in hopes of improving way of life. Related to New Urbanism
and creating enhanced suburbs through smart growth. Included traffic calming measures and
built around cars. Tying this into anti-urban ethos, people move to the suburban areas for reasons
(city is seen as a dirty place).
Significance: Federal Gov. program “HOPE VI” sought to create more habitable public housing
environments using New Urbanism designs. (as people sprawl outwards, the cities lose some of
their population and people have to drive to work and create pollutions, suburban areas seem
more desirable. Technoburbs, streetcar suburbs, edge cities, other urban entities in outskirts of
actual cities.

Ethos Theory
Source: Lecture 7 slide 16 (only source of info I can find)
Meaning: Political machines were created under a private-regarding ethos. Just because
someone worked in a government job doesn't mean they behaved honorably under moral or
ethical principles. Using public position for personal and family benefits. Reformers believe
public is sacred and society as a whole must be honored. Good government ethos means that the
government is mostly free of corruption...Banfield and Wilson claim that corrupt political
machines come from no Anglo-Saxon or “natives” WASP’s! Private regarding ethos, no moral
or ethical principals could use the machine for benefit, fair game according to Banfield and
Wilson
Significance: political machines and lack of government “ethos” was blamed mostly on the irish
which was proven false (in Ingram’s study) by the fact that the most irish city (Boston) never had
a political machine

Globalization
Source: Levine, Ch. 1 (pg. 5)
Meaning: eroding of significance of national and local borders. Connectivity of all parts of the
world via tech, communication, and trade.
Significance: Globalization is a major theme pertaining to socio-economics and is thus important
in terms of our class as as the world becomes more globalized (largely with communications and
transportation technology) the world becomes more and more interconnected. In addition, we
discussed how city ports now more than ever are vital in the world economy and how economies
of cities have changed to reflect a global atmosphere. On another important note, globalization
has allowed people in even rural areas with sites like Amazon to purchase anything and get it
relatively quickly (and it can only get faster), thus in “first world” nations especially, near
everyone has the ability to partake in the global world on a direct level. Transportation and
telecommunications led to businesses that are “rootless”. Offshoring and outsourcing common.
Corporation executives are less likely to have a sense of civic duty because they probably aren’t
even from the city they work in due to globalization.

Municipal Home Rule

Source: Levine, Ch. 5 (pg. 108) Essay by Richard Schraegger
Meaning: When the Dillon’s rule was made by the courts, that indicated since the constitution
makes no mention of cities then whatever happens to cities is up to the state in which they are
located, which became too difficult. States eventually awarded Home Rule to cities to ease
pressure. Allowed cities to write their own constitution. Allowed to govern themselves.
Sometimes called the classified charter (different classes of rule for cities). Empowers cities (in
most cases, counties too) to make numerous decisions without having to go to the state for
explicit permission for each new action, just as long as the actions are not contrary to the state
(and federal) law. This allows municipalities to make decisions on a broad range of policy areas.
An example is gay marriage: In the 80s and 90s, more than 150 cities across the country took it
upon themselves to provide domestic partner benefits. The extent of home rule varies from state
to state and in a small set of states, the state constitution’s provision for home rule effectively
neutralize much of Dillon’s Rule. Other states, such as Nevada (who give little power to its
municipalities) has experienced a rising tide in abandoned properties since expressed state
permission is required to adopt vacant property registration. Regardless, Dillon’s Rule is superior
to home rule and some states with broad home rules to their municipalities have intruded in their
affairs. Example: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s efforts to combat obesity by
limiting the cup size of sodas and other sugared drinks, too, was an attempt at exercising local
home rule authority. Since constitution makes no rule on city, states control all… thats a large
task so states have control to give home rule, cities can make own constitution under a home rule
charter.
Significance: Home rule gives power to the municipalities within the state, however, the
municipalities will never be fully autonomous because of “Dillon’s Rule”.

Source: Levine Ch 2 (pg 47)

Meaning: Mass-produced tract housing of Levittown further helped to by the suburban dream
within the reach of the working class (affordable housing). However, it was racially restricted in
order to maintain the community’s attractiveness to white buyers. In the community’s early
years, African Americans were denied the right to buy homes in Levittown. Housing projects
created after WWII that became models for cookie cutter suburban neighborhoods, which were
racially segregated. The Levittown helped to put the suburban dream within the reach of the
working class. However, they were racially restricted in order to maintain the community’s
attractiveness to white buyers (Levine 47). Original after WWII would be model for cookie
cutter, racial segregation for whites. Mimicked by other suburbs. U.S. govt made policy to
segregate on purpose or value down and experience bad for more racial issues. FHA used home
mortgages to not let folks in (redlining). Note* first in Long Island, NY.
Significance: signifies and exemplifies the racial stratification of U.S. cities and suburbs

Redlining & Blockbusting- Blockbusting also known as panic selling

Source: Levine (34 and 48-49)
Meaning: FHA was guilty of redlining large portions of cities, refusing to approve loans in inner-
city areas from even qualified homebuyers. Redlining is a discriminatory practice in real estate,
typically involving lenders that refuse to lend money or extend credit to borrowers in certain
areas of town. Blockbusting (also known as panic selling), is where real estate agents advertise
that a black family moved into the neighborhood (Even if not true) as there existed such a racial
hate that people might pack up and leave (created a profit for realtors).
Real estate agents would then go door to door, preying on the fears of white owners and the
elderly, pushing owners to sell their homes before the neighborhood underwent further change
and the value of homes plummeted (Levine 48).
Significance: Redlining by FHA was to deter people from living in the cities from their 1939
“Manual”, they saw densely populated regions to be less desirable and thus would provide 5x the
amount of loans in suburbs. Segregation occured because of each of these, along with restrictive
covenants and other forms of racial steering with loans. Blockbusting would lead to
resegregation of neighborhoods. The FHA redlined entire cities it saw as risky; in New Jersey,
no loans were approved in Camden and Paterson. By shutting off mortgage money, the FHA
virtually guaranteed the precipitous decline of already-fragile communities (Levine 34).

Creative Class
Source: Levine, Ch. 1 (pg. 7)
Meaning: A talent pool of computer programmers web designers, media specialists, and
knowledge-based workers who help a city attract major corporations seeking a highly skilled
workforce, Is the work of “Richard Florida, who bring in young professionals. Cities like
pittsburg economically revitalized; an industrial town now high tech employment with software,
property values up.” Young tech professionals who are a different generation than their parents;
interested in culturally diverse neighborhoods.
Significance: Cities want to attract the creative class for obvious reasons in the changing
economy. Low taxes are not the lone way to attract corporations, the creative class is also
important (90). Increase local quality of life to attract a creative class and the creative class will
attract business! Neighborhoods with sidewalk cafes, Starbucks coffee houses, restaurants
offering diverse cuisines, bookstores, edgy local theatre, and access to cycling, river rafting and
other recreational activities all help to make a city attractive to the creative class. Officials
believe if a city attracts talent, business will grow (Levine 9).
Cities that attracted creative class became economically revitalised (example: Pittsburg).
Creative class often first wave of gentrifiers

Gentrification
Source: Levine, Ch. 3 (pg. 56)
Meaning: The rediscovery of inner-city neighborhoods, often referred to as back-to-the-city
movement. In the early 70s/late 80s urban pioneers bought and renovated housing in distressed
inner-city neighborhoods. The term Gentrification denotes the arrival of relatively well-heeled
urban “gentry” (generally professionals who are single or childless couples) who have
discovered value in the living close to the job and entertainment opportunities.
There are many synonyms for the term Gentrification: neighborhood renewal, inner-city
revitalization, urban rebirth, the back-to-the-city movement, neighborhood reinvestment, and
urban invasion. Critics often charge that gentrification constitutes a white “invasion” of poor
black and hispanic neighborhoods. Today, the term gentrification is also used more widely to
refer to nonresidential investment projects, such as the opening of a luxury shopping galleria,
that is part of an area’s upgrading and transformation (Levine 57).
Two waves of gentrification: financiers + super gentrifiers. Financers are the first wave of
settlers and usually respect the diversity/uniqueness of the revitalized neighborhood. The second
wave are super gentrifiers who do not appreciate the character of the neighborhood and want to
develop it further
Significance: Gentrification brings a new sense of vitality and number of more specific benefits
to cities. New investment helps to stabilize declining neighborhoods, upgrade residential
structures, and increase an area’s attractiveness to future investments.
Pros- Attract workers with advanced tech and specialized skills/upgrade municipal tax base/new
shops and restaurants/greater public safety/improved municipal services/cultural and job
opportunities. (The creative class)
Cons-Displacement of the poor/soaring property values and rent push out the poor/unscrupulous
developers fail to maintain properties, or in extreme cases, resort to arson and other illegal
actions to remove existing tenants.

First wave=white, educated urban pioneers who liked soul of city. Bought and renovated inner
city property with “sweat equity”
Second wave=People who move in because area is now “cool”, but don’t prize urban grit and
authenticity (want Starbucks, suburban like strip malls, etc)
***Displaces poor*** because property values skyrocket
All CourseKey questions (for this section you might want to include the incorrect answers
in case he rephrases, like he said he would in Zoom)

1. According to Prof. Ingram, the U.S. has long had an anti-urban ethos, where:
Pastoral life is valorized over city dwelling, Agriculture and similar sectors of the
economy are seen as more wholesome, and Urban life is associated with crime,
corruption and decadence.
2. According to Levine, Banfield argued the urban imperatives are: Demographic,
economic, and technological

3. According to Levine, the Industrial City was replaced by: The Global City, The
Tourist city, and the Bankrupt city

4. According to Schragger, who modeled cities as offering competing menus of urban

services to prospective inhabitants? Charles Tiebout

5. According to Levine, edge cities include examples such as:

Route 128 outside of Boston, White Plains, New Jersey suburbs of NYC, and Tyson's
Corner

6. According to the terms of Dillon's Rule, states can authorize ____________ charters.
Classified, General Act, Home rule, and special act.

7. According to Mike F, the Hawk keeps his job by: getting out the Democratic vote in
his precinct, paying monthly dues to the ward’s coffers, and Buying and pushing tickets
to his ward boss’s golf outing and $25-a-plate dinners

8. According to Levine, cities must attract the knowledge industry with: Telecom
infrastructure, education and job training and provision of service amenities

9. According to Levine, cities have experimented with ____________ charters.

Commission, Council-manager, strong mayor, and weak mayor

10. Levine discusses the American culture of privatism, in which: City officials lack the
ability to dictate good urban developments, Public officials must gain the involvement of
private actors, and Urban problem solving requires public-private partnerships.

11. Levine cites the work of Richard Florida on the Creative Class. This class includes:
Computer programmers, web designers, media specialists, etc.

12. Levine includes among shrinking cities such examples as: Detroit, Flint, and
Cleveland

13. (Levine) Scaring white homeowners away with the prospect of minority residents
was called by Levine: Blockbusting and panic selling
14. (Levine) Segregation occurred in American cities, according to Levine, because of:
Redlining, restrictive covenants, and racial steering with loans

15. (Levine) For levine cities must now compete for business and firms because of:
offshoring, outsourcing, and capital mobility

16. (Plunkitt) To Tammany sage George Washington Plunkitt, civil service reform was
a/the: Biggest fraud of the age, Curse of the nation, and Threat to patriotism.

17. (Plunkitt) For ward heeler Plunkitt, honest graft meant: Profit on investment and
foresight

18. (Plunkitt) To Plunkitt, reformers were analogous to mornin' glories because they:
lacked a professional interest in the art of politics

19. Which of the below is NOT part of the political machine ideal type?
Input=Patronage.
Because input=votes, output=contracts, and output=patronage.
20. Which most Irish U.S. city never experienced life under a consolidated political
machine, undercutting Moynihan’s theory? Boston
21. The term urban sprawl refers to development that is: Located primarily on the
periphery of urban areas, and Low in population density, and Residential in nature.

22. The census uses metropolitan statistical areas rather than cities because: cities vary
in size of population, and metro areas include the central city and the suburb.

23. Robert Merton argued that political machines served certain latent functions. They:
created social mobility paths, and humanized/personalized welfare assistance.

15. Because of Dillon's Rule: Local governments hold only those powers delegated by the
states, Municipalities are mere “creatures of the state,” and The state enjoys the power of
life and death over its cities.
16. The type of regime most associated with economic growth in cities is the: Corporate
and Development

17. The urban regime associated with assistance to the less fortunate is the: Lower class
opportunity expansion

18. According to the terms of Dillon’s rule, states can authorize ______ charters

Classified, general act, home rule, special act

According to levine, cities have experimented with ___ charters

Commission, council-manager, strong-mayor, weak mayor

19. Robert Merton’s theory that we discussed in class sees the political machine as:
brokering deals between business and the city, providing immigrants with means to social
mobility, delivering benefits before the welfare state was created.
20. The big city political machines of the US in the 19th century: DID NOT die before the
20th century, rely exclusively on immigrants and catholics or provide NO social benefit