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Abstract
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If economics is the "dismal science," urbanology can but be a close second. This was particularly true in the sixties, which opened with the publication of Jane Jacobs’ scathing attack on city planning and redevelopment (The Death and Life of Great American Cities) and concluded some ten years later with articles by George Sternlieb and Norton Long likening the city to sandboxes and reservations, respectively.
Three types of indicators (satisfaction, problems, and services) lend further support to the image of the city as an economic, recreational, and entertainment center. At the same time, inhabitants express reservations about its ability to ensure their safety and its suitability for child rearing. In general, respondents had a positive view of the city as a place to live; still, they were less positive than were inhabitants living in suburbs, towns, and rural areas. The major concerns expressed by urban residents paralleled those identified by the total sample: crime, unemployment, and drug addiction. However, these (and other) problems are felt much more intensely in the cities.
Respondents living in the cities felt the level and quality of public services available to them to be generally satisfactory and, in certain areas, rated them higher than did inhabitants of other locales. However, this generally positive evaluation did not extend to two critical service areas: police protection and public schools.
Finally, there are substantial disparities between the attitudes of racial groups, residents of large and small central cities, and inhabitants of cities with increasing and declining population. In general, racial minorities are less satisfied with the quality of life in the cities and with the public services available to them; they are more apt to identify more problems and to rate them as severe. In general, persons living in smaller cities or in cities which are growing in population will rate their services more highly while feeling their problems to be less severe. |