| American Industrial Cities of the Northeast have long ago ceased to be the center of development. Manufacturing jobs have been lost to market globalization and blue-collar jobs are not being created at the same rate as jobs that require advanced degrees. Schenectady's housing was developed prior to the onset of major advances in technology and consumer conveniences and cannot easily or cheaply be adapted. The vast majority of this housing is not desired by middle and upper middle-income purchasers who instead choose to buy in the suburbs. As middle-income families move to the suburbs, a resulting glut of housing has presented opportunities for investors and low-income renters, creating detrimental poverty levels in the City.;This thesis will examine housing characteristics that are shared by Schenectady's troubled neighborhoods, the city's current fiscal crisis, the relationship of the two, and possible remedies. It does not explore how to eradicate poverty. The prevalence of poverty in Schenectady is a symptom of the city's over-abundance of aged and obsolete housing. Were it possible for Schenectady to raise the standard of living for its residents living in poverty, the result would be an exodus of these people from the city, and an influx of poverty from elsewhere in the region.;A number of housing and economic revitalization projects that have been undertaken in the City of Schenectady and across the United States will be examined. These projects will be considered to see if they may be adapted to provide improved housing conditions in Schenectady. This thesis will make recommendations for future strategies to consider on the local, state, and federal level: (1) How can older Cities act locally to attract a balanced mix of residents of all income levels? (2) What changes must be made to ensure that cities and suburbs more equally share resources and burdens?. |
