Dr. Michael Emerson
Urban Soul
For the Sake of Our City
GOD created the City. WHY?
1. The City releases our greatest potential
•Called to create, and collectively we do so
best in cities
2. The City is a place of Refuge
•For all, justice seeking
3. The City compels us to Spiritual Searching
•Spiritual turmoil, False Gods, Spiritual Openness
We are to build the city. But what kind?
Market City, People City• Must create a PRIORITIES RUBRIC through which make decisions,
budget money, focus attention.
• Either privilege the market OR privilege its citizens.
• All cities care about both, but most ultimately favor one over the other. So cities use different means to arrive at different ends.
Reasoning goes something like this:
Market City People City
• “The goal is to have a thriving economy, producing jobs, luring companies and investment, being business friendly, and creating wealth. Insofar as issues like quality of life or health care influence the end goal, we care about those issues.”
• “The goal is a high quality of life for all, to be a place that is friendly to people’s needs, that is lively, healthy, safe, sustainable, and equitable. Insofar as a strong economy and lots of good jobs contribute to the end goal, we care about those issues.”
Strong Economy
Quality HealthCare System
Healthy Workers
Competitive, Profitable Businesses
High Quality of Life for All
Universal High Quality Health Care
Jobs/Economy
Funding/Tax Base
The Interrelation of Urban InstitutionsUrban Institution
People Cities Market Cities
Land Use Dense, walkable Lower density, sprawl, roads
Transport Focused on access across the city
Focused on access to the market
Crime Low crime High crime
Environment Lower environmental impact
Higher environmental impact
Civic Participation High levels, often in government
High levels, but often outside of government
Taxes Higher taxes Lower taxes
Parks, public spaces
Many, well-maintained, public
Fewer, unequally maintained & serviced
Social Inequality Low, equal neighborhoods High, substantial segregation
How Classify?
• City Documents: organization, listed priorities, budgets, guiding documents
• Statements/positions by elected-leaders and other local leaders and organizations
• Arguments used for change or continuity
Used a 5-point scale:
Strong Market Middle Strong People
Lean Market Lean People
Ranking on scale
Market
City
People
City
Berlin
Dortmund
Essen
Budapest
SofiaRome
MalagaChicagoLondon
AmsterdamAntwerp Portland
ParisLeipzig
Strong Lean Market MIDDLE Lean People Strong
Copenhagen
ZurichMunich
StockholmTokyo
Houston Shanghai
Dubai Torino
Bucharest
Ranking on scale
Market
City
People
City
Chicago Portland
Strong Lean Market MIDDLE Lean People Strong
CopenhagenHouston
HOUSTON
CHICAGO
COPENHAGEN
PORTLAND
STRONG
LEAN
MARKET CITIES PEOPLE CITIES
City PrioritiesHouston (Strong Market) Copenhagen (Strong People)
1. Economic Development
2. Jobs
3. Safety
4. Infrastructure
1. All citizens’ quality of life
2. A city of social equality
3. Knowledge-based: education for our citizens.
4. First carbon neutral city & transportation wise
Chicago (Lean Market) Portland (Lean People)
1. Economic Development 2. Jobs3. Safety4. Universal Pre-K5. Culture development
1. Livability & high quality of life2. Accessible, equitable transport3. Environmental Resiliency 4. Community Policing5. Econ. Development & Jobs
Government Spending per Resident Including Public School Budgets
$2,819
$4,831
$8,346
$12,764
$0
$2,000
$4,000
$6,000
$8,000
$10,000
$12,000
$14,000
Houston Chicago Portland Copenhagen
*1.5 Factor*
Unemployment Rate, May 2018Unrelated to City Type
4.1%
3.6%
3.1%
3.9%
0.0%
1.0%
2.0%
3.0%
4.0%
5.0%
Houston Chicago Portland Copenhagen
Murder Rate
•Chicago: 24 out of 100,000
•Houston 12 out of 100,000
•Portland 2.3 out of 100,000
•Copenhagen: <1 out of 100,000
INEQUALITY IN MURDER RATE ACROSS AREAS
Murder Rate: <1 per 100,000 across every Copenhagen neighborhood
<1
<1
<1
<1
<1
<1<1
<1
White Seg Index & Summary Index of Multiple Group SegProportion of the Whites/Population that would need to move for
whites/entire population to be equally distributed through the city
0.430.40
0.08
0.35
0.47
0.14
0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
0.40
0.45
0.50
Houston Chicago Portland
WSI
SIMS
K is the total number of groups in the population,
g is the group, G is the total count of g group in
the population, T is the total population, and Sg is
the Segregation Index of gth group.
i is the tract , ai is the population of
whites in the ith tract, A is the # of whites
in the entire city, ti is the # of the tot pop
in the ith tract, and T is the tot city pop
Source: 2017 ACS
Economic Inequality, Gini Coefficient
0.53 0.52
0.43
0.32
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Houston Chicago Portland CopenhagenSources: CivicDashboards.com and Emerson & Smiley (2018)
Seeing the Difference
City Design
STREETS . . .
BIKE LANES . . .
Portland Bike Lane: Better than Houston and Chicago, but still lacking
Portland Bike Lane: Better Yet, but it can go further . . .
BRIDGES . . .
TRAINS . . .
RESIDENTIAL
Market City Contrasts
Distribution
of
HH Income
Fifth
Ward
Today
50% Vacant
Rapidly Deteriorating Housing Stock
Not always this way . . .
“We have decided that Copenhagen shall be the best city for people in the world.”
Jan Gehl told me this:• “A Christian man came to me and said he wanted us
to build housing for people. He was very persistent—build housing for people, not for other architects or for profit or for honor, but for people. He was asking that we not simply build flats, or single family homes, but that we design housing that meets the needs of people—especially their need to interact with others.”
Nov. 27, 2013
All of this impacts trust . . .
Most People can be Trusted
33%
84%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Houston CPH
Source: 2014 and 2015 Houston and Copenhagen Area Surveys
• We must know the type of city if we are to successfully understand and address social issues, such as crime, homelessness, segregation, inequality, urban design, transportation, health, gender relations, & trust.
• Affecting social change means stepping back to shape City Type.
Jer 29:7
. . . seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.
Create cities where
creation flourishes
Urban Soul
Questions and Discussion
8-Step Blueprint for Change
1. Identify the problem and its solution: city type
2. Demonstrate institutional failures: assumptions, outcomes
3. Prepare nonviolent grassroots
4. Educate the public: frame it
Portland Downtown Building
A City that Cares. . .
for All Our Children
Blueprint for Change1. Identify the problem and its solution: city type
2. Demonstrate institutional failures: assumptions, outcomes
3. Prepare nonviolent grassroots
4. Educate the public: frame it
5. Acknowledge opposition: who/which orgs will resist?
6. Dedicate to long-term goals: build for the long-haul
7. Recognize success: to encourage the faithful, gain others
8. Retain success: don’t let it be temporary
Within the Blueprint, 5 Steps to a Strong Advocacy Campaign
Be SMART
For more details see: https://www.salsalabs.com/blog/advocacy-campaign-planning
For the Sake of the CityPresented by
Special thanks to