LEAD OFF- CONSUMER CITY Anuoluwapo Oduwole - 100828946 HUMR 3001 SUMMARY Cohen - Inequality in Mass Suburbia In Chapter

5, Cohen weighs the merits of American suburbanization, saying, There is no denying that moving to suburbia improved the quality of life of many Americans, but the extent to which private real estate markets shaped postwar suburban communities over time exacerbated inequality by establishing new kinds of hierarchies (200). There is a dual principle of homogenization and segregation signature that becomes part of the Consumers Republic. Ironically, then, instead of having to rigorously police boundaries in the old city because blacks and whites actually share public space, the lack of a public sphere in postwar mass suburbia allows the fantasy of equal access. Thus, real estate economics serves segregation as much as, in the era of consumer advocacy regarding perishable goods, the market seemed to hold the hope of integration and equality. This segregation further affects the schooling and in conjunction the future of the states. Yet it a question whether this shift bodes well or ill for our democratic political traditions, our natural environment, or our global future, whether we should be proud of the manifold wealth we have created or instead ashamed of our prodigal capitalist system.

QUESTIONS/DISCUSSUION Do we see ourselves in the mass suburbia situation that Cohen explains in her article, a situation where everyone is more concerned about their property value than anything else and where they would do almost anything to protect their investments in their private property? An interesting connection can be drawn here between suburbia and Celebration? (For example, the ability to stop people from entering into the community with the use of various methods such as housing prices). What are some of the things responsible for encouraging class segregation in mass suburbia and can we see any of those features still manifested in our society today? How did it affect people view of public space and private space? Market orientation Income inequality Zoning (public space usage) Constructed houses (style, size, space orientation. Race segregation.

SUMMARY Jamie Peck- THE CULT OF URBAN CREATIVITY In Richard Florida's "creative city" theory, the creative class dissolves the classical division between the productive middle class and the Elites thereby giving rise to a new creative subject. Jamie Peck discusses the implementation of these ideas in contemporary cities and shows how capital investments intended to attract the creative class to the city prioritize an urban middle class. Florida argues that every human being has the capacity to be in the creative class and because the creative class makes up most of us they now make the rules in the society. The idea of the creative class is meant to foster egalitarianism and development of cities while also giving communities and the creative people individualist and individualism. DISCUSSION FOCUS Do we agree with Floridas argument of the creative? Why? Some effects of agreeing resulted are shown by Peck in Detroits case Economic decline State decline More competition among states with less success Challenge to policy makers Does not address issues existing already in urban policies such as poverty, exclusion, inequality etc.

Creativity strategies have been crafted to co-exist with urban social problems, not to solve them," writes Peck. "It should come as no surprise, then, that the creative capitals exhibit higher rates of socioeconomic inequality than other cities." Do we agree with pecks argument on this? How does this view and new class shape our view on rights to the city and public space? How they mutate in interurban space?