Reference no: EM133700734

Assignment:

Please complete essay answer on one of the following questions.

1. The top five influences on the American metropolis over the past 60 years include: The 1956 Interstate Highway Act and the dominance of the automobile; Federal Housing Administration mortgage financing and subdivision regulation; Deindustrialization of central cities; Urban renewal through downtown redevelopment and public housing projects; and Levittown. As well, the American Investment and Recovery Act (2009) authorized $787 billion of investment over ten years which further impacted cities. More infrastructure spending is forthcoming. It should be noted that the single most important message of the list is the overwhelming impact of the federal government on the American metropolis through policies implemented that have promoted urban growth and suburban sprawl. Choose what you consider to be the three most important federal contributions to urban policy and illustrate their impact on the growth and development of cities, providing a solid argument.

2. You are the newly elected Mayor for the City of Utopia. You see the need for Charter Reform. What form of municipal structure (i.e. Weak-Mayor, Strong-Mayor, Commission, or City Manager) would you recommend to best serve your citizens in the most effective and efficient fashion? Explain why you would recommend the organizational choice selected. Clearly outline your rationale giving reasons for your proposed organizational structure referencing theories and concepts discussed this semester.

3. We have observed great economic and racial inequities between central cities and suburban communities. Outline the significant public policy issues that have perpetuated economic and racial inequities in metropolitan regions. Discuss how moving to opportunity programs such as the "Gautreaux Program" could re-solve housing segregation in metropolitan areas to overcome these inequities?

4. Mayor Duggan faces significant leadership and fiscal challenges as jobs and population continue to move out of the city leaving in their wake severe poverty, foreclosures homelessness and a persist high crime rate. As well, Detroit's older inner-ring, "first" suburbs have a unique set of challenges, such as concentrations of elderly and immigrant populations along with outdated housing and commercial building, very different from newer places. How could metropolitan planning programs and policies, observed in Portland, OR and Minneapolis, MN, help improve the economic well-being of all communities in the Detroit metropolitan region?