Dux Nest

So often we hear of towns disappearing from the map because of various reasons, these could be a closure of a mine, a mill or perhaps the tourists can now find cheaper and more attractive holidays somewhere else. The people who are left behind struggle to make ends meet. Many people leave and the young people see there is no opportunity for future. If this was an article for “Howcast” then it would explain how to create a ghetto.

Once the main industry or employer shuts down, the locals find they have less money to spend in the local shops and are perhaps reliant on social security. The business owners have less people purchasing goods and services and therefore employ less staff. A cancerous cycle begins.

What can be done to save our town?

You may be interested to know that all hope is not lost. If you are a proactive member of your community then you can make a real difference.

According to a major report from the UK government’s Urban Task Force, chaired by Lord Rogers of Riverside to revive towns they propose:

• using previously developed land and buildings first for new housing;
• creating a national urban design framework,
• developing a network of Regional Resource Centres for Urban Development;
• committing at least 65 percent of transport public expenditure to walking, cycling and public transport over the next 10 years and introducing Home Zones to give local people more control over traffic movement through their neighborhoods;
• creating Urban Priority Areas, where special regeneration measures will apply;
• giving local authorities new powers to manage the urban environment;
• introducing a package of tax measures, providing incentives for developers, investors, small landlords, owner-occupiers and tenants to contribute to the regeneration of urban land and buildings; and
• establishing a Renaissance Fund of 500 million over 10 years, for use by community groups and voluntary organizations to tackle derelict buildings and other eyesores in urban areas.

(Urban Task Force sets out 100 ways to revive England’s towns and cities. (1999). Institute of Transportation Engineers. ITE Journal, 69(12), 18.)

As stated in the 1989 film Field of Dreams the quote “if you build it they will come” seems appropriate also in relation to the survival of towns. Diversification is the key to success, whether it be tourism, manufacturing or even e-business. Towns cannot put all their eggs in one basket or they cease to exist with the change in the economic cycle. The answer may be as simple as beautifying the town and marketing the change. Whatever action is taken the goal is to ensure money flows into the towns economy that is not from social services. Too many ghost towns dot the maps.

Fort Worth, Texas, was once a crumbling city with boarded-up warehouses and little to attract people to its barren streets. But the wealthy Bass family saw promise for the future and began to buy up properties along the downtown streets.

Ed Bass, a leader in the effort to revitalize downtown Fort Worth, has said, “Cities need to learn to capitalize on their streets, city blocks, sidewalks, storefronts, and the comings and goings of a whole variety of people engaged in a whole gamut of activities.”

Rather than spending millions on a huge stadium that would only attract day-trippers, the city voted to invest in itself. Through a series of projects funded by a 1-cent tax increase, Oklahoma City moved aggressively to stop urban sprawl in its tracks. It built a small stadium, renovated a convention center, revitalized a waterfront property, created a new library and education center, and established a new transportation link between the downtown and its outskirts. (Sarah M Vermylen.  (2000). Revitalizing ‘ghost town’ downtowns. The World & I, 15(6), 66-71.)

Top 10 UK towns creating ghettos:

1. Hull
Average income per year: £17,300

2. Blackpool
Average income per year: £17,400

3. Caerphilly
Average income per year: £18,700

4. Leicester
Average income per year: £18,500

5. Sunderland
Average income per year: £18,800

6. City of Dundee
Average income per year: £18,800

7. Middlesbrough
Average income per year: £18,700

8. Blackburn
Average income per year: £18,700

9. Knowsley
Average income per year: £19,100

10. Nottingham
Average income per year: £18,900

Top 10 in creating ghettos USA:

1. Youngstown City, OH
Average income per year: $24,941

2. Bloomington City, IN
Average income per year: $25,225

3. Camden City, NJ
Average income per year: $25,389

4. Reading City, PA
Average income per year: $25,536

5. Flint City, MI
Average income per year: $26,143

6. Macon City, GA
Average income per year: $26,555

7. Gary City, IN
Average income per year: $26,725

8. Gainesville City, FL
Average income per year: $27,479

9. Hartford City, CT
Average income per year: $27,654

10. Passaic City, NJ
Average income per year: $27,691

Is your town becoming a ghost town?

Tags: Community, Economy, Ghetto, Money, Revival, Towns, Urban.