Urban Blight and Shanty Towns
Urban blight is created by urban sprawl in developed countries. People try to get away from crime, pollution and other city issues by moving outside of the cities. While most of the wealthier people move to more desirable conditions on newly formed suburbs, the poorest are left in the city. As the money leaves the city, the buildings and local economy crumble, leaving the most needy residence without access to necessities. Without jobs and goods, residence will turn to illegal enterprise to fulfill the lacking. With no regulations or plans to the future of this sprawls growth, urban blight is becoming more widespread.
In developing countries they do not yet have the big city to move to and then thus move away from so people have built their own homes on public or private owned property and then commute to the city. In these “shanty towns” there is usually no utilities because they are not in the city. Since they can not own their land, a feeling of safety and certainty is needed from the residence. These shanty town have little development or utilities, so they are also short on jobs for their residence. With little money and only slight sources from sustainable farming, these people will have no voice in the city workings, even though their labor is what is creating it. (Wright and Boorse, 2011)
