The Radical Analysis of Urban Areas and Housing Markets

Abstract

This paper will attempt to look at urban decline and its causes through an examination of the forces and institutions at work which have caused cities to develop in the manner they have. A radical analysis of urban areas is presented, in contrast with the orthodox approaches typically taken by social scientists studying cities. This project grew out of my own experiences working at the Edison Neighborhood Association in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Though my experiences there did not provide sufficient evidence from which to draw conclusions, they did play a major role in determining my theoretical positions. I will also call on my field experience to provide anecdotal support for the theories presented.