Are the standard “progressive” cities (IE: Portland, Austin etc) diverse enough? Perhaps not progressiveness but whiteness is the defining characteristic of the group.
Are the standard “progressive” cities (IE: Portland, Austin etc) diverse enough? Perhaps not progressiveness but whiteness is the defining characteristic of the group. New Geography Via Ta-Nehisi Coates
8 Comments
What this article proves is that if you look for a particular pattern you'll find it.
Or it points out that there is a problem in holding these cities up as paradigms if they, by the racial demographics, enjoy a homogeneity that other cities do not.
From the article:
"In comparison to the great cities of the Rust Belt, the Northeast, California and Texas, these cities have relatively homogenous populations. Lack of diversity in culture makes it far easier to implement 'progressive' policies that cater to populations with similar values; much the same can be seen in such celebrated urban model cultures in the Netherlands and Scandinavia."
Well it's a well stated point, and it may be hard to argue with it. I see this as an interesting sociological study that could be further investigated. These are the types of things design students, and professionals should look at to further develop insight as to designs possible effect on a society.
I mean my comment is a bit tangential, but I feel that it is important for designers to try to connect dots no matter how obscure any connection may seem.
Why is this exactly about African-Americans? This makes me question who exactly is writing this article. What about other minorities? I'm sure that these cities must have other non-whites. I can't quite see why everything in America must be so "White and Black" If a cities is progressive it's progressive. I honestly cannot even see how race can be tied into this. This almost an absurd investigation.
I didn't know that if I live in a city, I help a city will points on the progressiveness scale.
I don't quite understand, can someone explain this to me?
Ta-Nehisi Coates dismantles this flimsy theory nicely in the link above.
a quarter of portland is non-white (first nations, hispanic, asian and african american = 25%) so to say the city is non-diverse is false.
the percentage of portland's white, non hispanic population is less than the national average.
copenhagen is a very homogenous city, and is extremely progressive.
on the same hand, beijing is a very homogenous city and is not progressive. neither is mogadishu.
@holz.box
Well stated, good point. Homogeneity has nothing to do with progressiveness, this article is a bunch of crud.
Agreed re: other non-white populations - Austin for instance has a very large hispanic population which has grown considerably over the last 10 years - take for instance Travis County, where Austin is located - see below from the Austin Statesman:
Travis County Latino population is 25th largest in U.S.
By Juan Castillo | Friday, October 9, 2009, 11:58 AM
Travis County ranked 25th among all U.S. counties in the size of its Hispanic population in 2007, and 18th nationwide for Hispanic growth from 2000 to 2007, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
The research organization has released an interactive map that shows growth in the Hispanic population for each of the nation’s 3,141 counties from 1980 through 2007.
The findings are based on the center’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau county population estimates contained in its 2007 American Community Survey.
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