A city is only as good as it reputation. When you think of certain cities, certain characteristics instantly come to mind. Whether positive or negative, a city’s reputation can bring in economic development or shun away economic opportunities. When you say the word Memphis to someone who doesn't live here, the first word that comes to their mind is crime. Memphis has too long been known as a city of crime that is quickly on a downward spiral. As planners and architects, we must examine the underlying cause of such negative exposure.
What are we doing or not doing to create communities that are becoming unsafe havens for masses?
The first thing we must do is determine what actually makes a community. What are the vital necessary elements of a city or community that contribute the success of an area? What elements of a city are necessary for the survival of a place? These are questions that I feel Memphis political powers have never asked nor addressed. When you look at a neighborhood like South Memphis, you must question why is this neighborhood not thriving. There are obviously assets missing from this neighborhood that prevents it from being a viable successful community.
I would argue that communities like this do not have the basic elements in place such as job opportunities, walkable streets, public transportation, or appropriate retail to make it a thriving community.
What is the social makeup of the neighborhood? I would argue that these neighborhoods often times lack the social awareness and interaction that creates community. Without this social interaction, you have communities filled with fear. Fear of walking down the street, fear of talking to people you don't know, and fear of creating lasting relationships that are the basis of successful neighborhoods.
These types of communities have suffered from years of disinvestment and neglect. I am a firm believer that crime follows lack of opportunities. When opportunities to provide for your family, earn a decent wage, or survive are limited, crime tends to follow. This crime leads to a negative image of a neighborhood, which leads to businesses and investors unwillingness to invest into these areas.
How we can remedy this problem that has plagued our urban cities for decades?
What can we do differently to change the perception of our urban neighborhoods? The obvious first step is to bring awareness to the problem. Our city officials must acknowledge that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. As long as they sweep the problem under the rug, it will continue to exist. Once the problem is acknowledged, our officials must work hand and hand with planners and architects to create a revitalization plan that would bring opportunities into the neighborhood. I believe the plan should include provisions for jobs, transportation, affordable housing, neighborhood centers, parks, viable retail, and other aspects that would benefit the city. This plan should be costumed to the conditions of the neighborhood and it should be understood that all plans will not be the same. It is my belief that when a well designed plan is implemented into a community, not only will economical issues be addressed, but social issues will also be addressed.
The social fabric is what a community is built upon, and if that is torn, a community could never fully thrive. It must also be understood that a plan of this magnitude will not happen overnight and will take some time. We must change the attitude of “it’s not my neighborhood so I don’t care”. This is the current attitude that has caused such unawareness to the urban decay of our cities. As citizens of Memphis though, we must at least move to see that these types of revitalization plans are the top of our officials to do list. Because when it’s said and done, when someone speaks negatively about Memphis, we are all included.
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