Essays and Research Papers on Urban Studies

This paper examines land use regulations and whether they help or hinder economic development. Examples used include how Rhode Island has upgraded its laws to be more fair in the area of land use, and how one city managed to drive away a business because of its land use ordinance. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 20 page analytical paper examining the idea that large inner-cities seem to have their sanitation landfills strategically located in and around minority neighborhoods. A discussion of relevant case law, economic rationale, and environmental concern is provided. The writer posits that elected officials must take action or be held responsible for the harmful effects that ...

A 5 page paper discussing the impact that architects and landscape architects could have in urban areas if planning and zoning laws would support creativity. One of the problems facing American cities and towns of all sizes is that of sprawl. It is seen as a natural evolution process of cities, but closer ...

A 9 page paper discussing Illinois' first state university. The school is one that could be seen as a parent's dream, yet enjoyable for the students and truly important in the community. Employers also see UIUC as a university of value, which further enhances its value to students—UIUC can be valuable to them ...

This 7 page research paper discusses the cultural diversity of New Orleans and how this diversity works to create a unique and exciting city so many years after it was first regarded as a haven rich with culture. Sociological factors and some historical discussions are integrated with present day attributes of the city. Bibliography ...

14 pages in length. In this research paper, the writer examines the artistic and architectural backgrounds of three ancient cities : Albania's Burtinti, Mexico's Cholula, and Sicily's Syracuse. It is hypothesized that through an examination of their architecture, we can learn much about the lives of early inhabitants, and the thought that went into ...

This 5 page paper highlights the construction of the third longest suspension bridge in the world. Sections include an analysis on the building of the bridge from a cultural perspective, a religious and philosophical perspective and concludes with a look at the project from an ethical standpoint. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

The process of Irish immigrant migration in the United States since the 1900s has resulted in the development of a number of significant Irish communities. This 5 page paper considers the process of Irish immigration and then considers the specific elements of current geographic composition in states like California as a segment of this ...

A 12 page research paper on what is still the largest housing project ever assembled by a single builder. William Levitt and his brother answered the need for affordable housing after World War II by mass-producing houses on Long Island, N.Y. The first Levittown was followed by others and helped to fuel the growing post-WWII ...

A 40 page paper that provides a substantive look at the city of Newark, New Jersey, which includes things like the overall national and international environment, the physical characteristics of Newark, the demographics, employment, office market, retail market, industrial market, residential market, hotel market forecast, and a brief overview of the economic outlook as ...

An 8 page research paper on the urban renewal plan for downtown and Bricktown. The writer details the design, its flaws, especially parking, and some solutions. 4 pages of graphics and text are also provided. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

4 pages in which Paris and New York City are discussed with regard to citizen patterns of movement Cultural, political, economic, and ethnic aspects are explored. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 10 page research paper examines the issue of urban sprawl in America from a conservative perspective. Specifically discussed are the effects of urban sprawl on regional settings, goals and objectives established for prevention, policy options for the U.S. as a whole and applications of policy options to Phoenix, AZ. Bibliography lists 9 ...

A 20 page research paper that discusses the problems that have faced Silicon value and the need for urban redevelopment. The paper discusses community attitude, economics, development, and "city" planning needs. From a relational view from other cities, the paper posits that the community should utilize its unique interactive abilities and apply them ...

An 11 page paper that focuses on the demographic, cultural, religious, and economic factors that have impacted neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page research paper which examines the concept proposed by Witold Rybczynski in his book, City Life, that malls have become the de facto downtown of the American suburbs. The writer also consults the work of Lyn Lofland in her book A World of Strangers: Order & Action In Urban Public Space for information ...

This 5 page paper is broken down into two specific parts: The paper considers the issue of racial segregation in the urban landscape and the problems in residential areas, then relates the issue of racial segregation to the specific elements of the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles and the attempts being made towards urban revitalization ...

A 10 page paper on the industry that discusses the number of changes the city's newspaper industry experienced during the 1990s. The writer reviews some of the newspapers under the new banner of the CNA and the OCNA--a lobbying organization formed to protect the autonomy of theCanadian industry. Bibliography lists 14 sources.

20 pages in length. The media image of New York City is one that is both intriguing and dishonest; nowhere else are there more accounts of stereotypical imagery than is portrayed within the Big Apple. A number of various entities have worked together though the decades to create the larger than life image of ...

This 5 page fictitious account describes the life of a woman who grew up in Brooklyn, New York during the depression era and World War II. No additional sources cited.

A 7 page research paper on privatizing urban schools. The writer argues that the positive aspects of privatization far outweigh the negative and offers the promising case of Hartford, Connecticut as an example. Reasons to change over are analyzed in great detail as are some of the casual factors behind decline in inner-city school systems. ...

A 3 page argument in which the writer posits that the reason many people are not satisfied with urban schools is evidently resulting from the reasons that people are not satisfied with urban areas in general. As Americans have shifted so abruptly to the suburbs, the nation's cities have been left to fall apart ...

This 12 page paper provides an investigation of the different environmental factors that impact the decision making process for highway construction. This paper considers the impacts of environment on the physical, structural, financial, economic and technological factors that are evaluated when considering the construction of a new highway. This paper also presents an ...

A 6 page paper that describes the views and philosophy of Patrick Geddes, the environmentalist turned city planner who demonstrated his concerns for natural features within urbanization. Geddes demonstrated a means by which cities could revitalize utilizing environmental concerns as their basis. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 9 page research paper on social conditions which caused the eruption of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. The writer posits that the Rodney King verdict was merely a final stimulus ('the straw that broke the camel's back') for the ensuing violence but that various other social, economic, cultural, and demographic factors contributed to it ...