Movie: Requim for Detroit
The movie shows how Fordism and the manufacturing process that came with it influenced the
entire economy of the city Detroit. The motor industry caused a decline in use of public transport
and promoted personal transport. This caused the rise of the suburbs that were completely reliant
on the car (Wright his broadcare city), this increased the dependency on the car for the people of
Detroit. This then again was beneficial for the manufacturers of cars. They also used standardised
ways of making cars, but designed the shell to appeal to different social groups, thus creating
aspirational consumption. People defined themselves through their cars, having a better car (sic)
defined you as a successful person. When the decline of the motor industry kicked in since the oil
prices went up and people wanted more efficient cars (that were not produced in Detroit!!) The
economy of Detroit suffered a lot. But it appears that the community is beginning to organise itself
to meet its needs through community gardening through the Detroit Urban Agricultural Network
which has been setup to provide people with spaces to grow their own food. This is essential as most
supermarkets have left the area, again another sign of capitalism retreating as the potential for
profit decreases.
Fate of Detroit and the automobile (car) are entangled (path dependency)
Ford introduced the assembly line higher productivity and lower cost
Creating aspirational consumption by changing the look of the cars each year
WWII helped Detroit’s economy since they could now again produce a lot of cars.
Movie: Citizen Jane
The movie shows very clearly two separate sided, that from Mozes, which is more modernistic and
focusses on efficiency. And the side of Jacobs, a citizen and journalist from New York who wants to
preserve the neighbourhoods of New York. Rober Mozes looked to the city from above and saw
slums that were not helping the community and he wanted to demolish it and build large
modernistic style buildings. Jane Jacobs looked at the city from the ‘street view’ and saw these
neighbourhoods Mozes wanted to demolish in a very different way. She says the streets make the
city alive. Since the neighbourhoods that Mozes demolished and rebuild eventually became deserted
slums since nobody wanted to live there they became unsafe. Jane Jacobs says that an deserted
street is unsafe, since there is no social pressure on acting like you should. A safe street is crowded
and has what she calls ‘eyes on the street’. These eyes on the street can be as simple as people
sitting in a coffee store and drinking coffee and looking outside. The people on the street then feel
looked at, and will behave according the ‘’social rules’’
Mozes urban renewal, saw the streets as hang-out spots that were linked with poverty
Jacobs wanted to preserve the ‘’streets’’ since they made the city alive and rather safe.
A big difference in seeing things from the ‘’street perspective’’ and from the above.
Mozes was more modernistic and wanted things efficient, Jacobs was the opposite of Mozes
Path dependency Mozes wanted a big highway through Manhattan, Jacobs protested
agains this and won. Otherwise now Manhattan would have this huge highway through the
middle thus separating it in two.
The movie shows how Fordism and the manufacturing process that came with it influenced the
entire economy of the city Detroit. The motor industry caused a decline in use of public transport
and promoted personal transport. This caused the rise of the suburbs that were completely reliant
on the car (Wright his broadcare city), this increased the dependency on the car for the people of
Detroit. This then again was beneficial for the manufacturers of cars. They also used standardised
ways of making cars, but designed the shell to appeal to different social groups, thus creating
aspirational consumption. People defined themselves through their cars, having a better car (sic)
defined you as a successful person. When the decline of the motor industry kicked in since the oil
prices went up and people wanted more efficient cars (that were not produced in Detroit!!) The
economy of Detroit suffered a lot. But it appears that the community is beginning to organise itself
to meet its needs through community gardening through the Detroit Urban Agricultural Network
which has been setup to provide people with spaces to grow their own food. This is essential as most
supermarkets have left the area, again another sign of capitalism retreating as the potential for
profit decreases.
Fate of Detroit and the automobile (car) are entangled (path dependency)
Ford introduced the assembly line higher productivity and lower cost
Creating aspirational consumption by changing the look of the cars each year
WWII helped Detroit’s economy since they could now again produce a lot of cars.
Movie: Citizen Jane
The movie shows very clearly two separate sided, that from Mozes, which is more modernistic and
focusses on efficiency. And the side of Jacobs, a citizen and journalist from New York who wants to
preserve the neighbourhoods of New York. Rober Mozes looked to the city from above and saw
slums that were not helping the community and he wanted to demolish it and build large
modernistic style buildings. Jane Jacobs looked at the city from the ‘street view’ and saw these
neighbourhoods Mozes wanted to demolish in a very different way. She says the streets make the
city alive. Since the neighbourhoods that Mozes demolished and rebuild eventually became deserted
slums since nobody wanted to live there they became unsafe. Jane Jacobs says that an deserted
street is unsafe, since there is no social pressure on acting like you should. A safe street is crowded
and has what she calls ‘eyes on the street’. These eyes on the street can be as simple as people
sitting in a coffee store and drinking coffee and looking outside. The people on the street then feel
looked at, and will behave according the ‘’social rules’’
Mozes urban renewal, saw the streets as hang-out spots that were linked with poverty
Jacobs wanted to preserve the ‘’streets’’ since they made the city alive and rather safe.
A big difference in seeing things from the ‘’street perspective’’ and from the above.
Mozes was more modernistic and wanted things efficient, Jacobs was the opposite of Mozes
Path dependency Mozes wanted a big highway through Manhattan, Jacobs protested
agains this and won. Otherwise now Manhattan would have this huge highway through the
middle thus separating it in two.
