Question 7

The Moving to Opportunity housing experiment is an experiment that was carried out by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban development. This experiment was designed to answer whether moving a person from a high poverty neighborhood and taking them to a low poverty neighborhood improves their social and economic life. Moving to opportunity housing experiment aimed at assisting low income earners move from some of the most distressed neighborhoods in America.  The Moving to opportunity was particularly effective in proving the casual effects of the policy because the experiment was able to achieve improved neighborhood outcomes the individuals who were relocated to low poverty neighborhoods from distresses neighborhood reported that they felt safer in the new neighborhood (Tama & Jeanne, n.p).

 It was also effective in proving its casual effect because the mental health of the individuals in these new low poverty level neighborhoods improved and other physical aspects of their health increased also.  This experiment was effective in proving its casual effect because it managed to improve the health outcomes of female youths. Lastly, It helped increase the mathematical ability of the children who were formerly living in distressed neighborhoods.  Moving to Opportunity is an example of mobility paradigm policy in the sense that it was used to solve the problem that exist in urban areas. Problems such as inner city poverty and racial concentration (Tama & Jeanne, n.p). The fact that the Moving to Opportunity experiment was done using mobility vouchers that were given to those living in inner city distressed neighborhood makes it a mobility paradigm policy.

Question 8     

Place identity is also referred to as place based identity. Place identity refers to certain ideas about a place in the field of urban sociology. Over the years place identity has become very significant in urban planning design. Place identity is also defined by the inhabitants of the place and the contribution these inhabitants make towards this place.  Place identity is subject to change, it is continually changing as a result of the changes that take place in the variable that shape it (Ujang &  Zakariya, 712). These variables include race, ethnicity and culture. 

            For the purposes of development it is important to consider place identity.  History is an important concept of a place identity. History changes and a place has a history of past events during development it is important to consider the history of the place (Ujang & Zakariya, 713).  It is important that planners and urban designers examine the meaning people attach to a place before making developments.  It is also important that urban planners understand the sense of place so that they can be able to integrate the attributes and characteristics of a place for purposes of development. 

Question 9

Gentrification is a general term that is used to define the coming or arriving of wealthier individuals and wealthier families into an urban district that already existed (Grant, n.d). Gentrification has its causes such as; the increasing population in urban neighborhoods. Few urban residential areas have been build and they cannot accommodate this growing population therefore, areas that seemed undesirable have been considered to be desirable.  Another cause is that gentrification happens in areas that seem ripe for development and certain characteristics of these urban districts make them desirable. Building in these districts that might be old tend to attract investors who are seeking investment opportunities (Grant, n.d).  Another cause is that it works by acceleration, few people are always willing to move into unfamiliar urban districts but once a few people move into that neighborhood and set up enterprises and homes others become willing to move in and the rate of moving into these urban districts accelerates. 

Movement of influential people or wealthier people into a neighborhood comes with consequences of its own. The movement of more people into the district erodes the desirable qualities that attracted the people into these districts in the first place, characteristics such as the low value of property.  Gentrification of a neighborhood pushes the original inhabitants of the district out of their homes. With the coming of wealthier people prices of houses go up and eventually tenants are pushed out of their homes.  When new buyers buy a building they have a tendency of evicting the old occupiers of the building so that they can put the building into the use they desire.  The economic consequences of gentrification vary a lot. New invest comes with a lot of spending and a new tax base as a result of increased economic activities.  Renovation of old buildings into restaurants creates job opportunities and often the initial residents of this area have a chance of getting these jobs (Grant, n.d).

Physical changes in the urban district are also part of the consequences of gentrification. Older buildings are renovated to look appealing and new ones are constructed. Public utilities such as roads and street lights are built and installed as the new wealthy influential people demand public services from the government. Despite these advancement that comes with gentrification, it ends up causing serious political conflicts that are brought about by existence of different races, social classes  and diverse culture (Grant, n.d) the earlier residents may feel that their home has been taken from them and they have been mystified and the actions of the newcomers may be mistaken as hostile.

Works Cited

Benjamin Grant. What is Gentrification. 2003. Retrieved from; http://archive.pov.org/flagwars/what-is-gentrification/

Leventhal, Tama, and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn. "Moving to opportunity: an experimental study of neighborhood effects on mental health." American journal of public health 93.9 (2003): 1576-1582.

Norsidah Ujang &  Khalilah Zakariya. The Notion of Place, Place Meaning and Identity in Urban Regeneration. 2014. Retrieved from; https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82701298.pdf