The article written by Domaradzka (2018) narrates a history of urban movements, giving special attention to the “right to the city” framework. The author argues that urban activism is focused on the inclusion of citizens in city governance and urban development. According to Domaradzka (2018), urban movements emerge because existing cities do not meet the needs of the majority of citizens. For example, such activism may oppose the division of the city into areas for the rich and ghettos and a lack of accessible public spaces and affordable housing. The “right to the city” framework, in particular, is focused on providing individuals with access to urban resources and ensuring that all citizens can participate in urban development (Domaradzka, 2018).
The author concludes that, in the modern world, there is a tendency to the democratization of cities, which implies citizen’s involvement in shaping the urban environment. This article involves the social impact on urban development because it shows that certain social movements advocate for society’s engagement in the process of forming cities and changing the urban environment.
The current hazards in the economic environment are concerned with the housing market. According to Levy (2017), many home loans made in the US have government backing. This is a hazard because it may encourage lenders to involve in reckless behaviors, meaning that lenders can assume more risks because they will not bear the entire costs of these risks. While government backing is important for maintaining a stable housing market, too much of its support appears to be risky. In the political environment, terrorism and political instability seem to be topical issues in relation to urban development. This is because it presents a challenge of designing protection of public spaces and critical infrastructure.
One topical hazard in the social environment is poverty because it has a large negative impact on people’s well-being and standards of living and aggravates the problem of a lack of affordable housing. Finally, in the visual environment, one hazard is visual pollution. For example, in many cities, there are a large number of billboards that may be poorly designed and may be unpleasant to the citizens’ eyes. This is a hazard because it may negatively affect the shape of the city and the psychological well-being of the population.
References
Domaradzka, A. (2018). Urban social movements and the right to the city: An introduction to the special issue on urban mobilization. Voluntas, 29, 607–620. Web.
Levy, J. M. (2017). Contemporary urban planning (11th ed.). Routledge.