Exploring Political & Economic Forces

It seems   no matter what time or place that history is examined there is one aspect that has always been present, and that is, concentrated urban poverty. These are neighborhoods in which a high percentage of residents fall beneath the federally designated poverty lines. To develop a better understanding of what drives these wedges between the classes and communities, one must be able to recognize and comprehend political and economic forces that are driving a society's built environment. Identifying political and economic forces in urban life may creates a clear picture of discrimination and inequality within certain areas, and the factors that influenced the environment's social structures. This paper will explore two essays, “The Great Towns”, and, “Fortress Los Angeles: The Militarization of Urban Space”. Though these essays were written during two very different periods and about two different countries, we will still find many similarities concerning social and economic inequalities amongst the classes.
In “The Great Towns”, an excerpt from, The Conditions of the Working Class in England (1845), author Friedrich Engels brings attention to the living conditions of the working class people in some neighborhoods in England he observed during the nineteenth century,   in comparison to an upper class society. Engels paints a bleak picture of the working poor and, as well, of the cottage industry and the bourgeoisie in the great towns, as he calls them, giving examples such as London, and Manchester. The working poor lived in deplorable conditions, without any planning for housing, shopping areas or public spaces, as opposed to that of the   more privileged bourgeoisie. This higher class lived   in spacious quarters, as far away as possible from the dirty quarters of the working poor, without being in contact with them or their public spaces. One of the main reasons for this contrast in classes was the built environment and the rapid growth of cities. Rural areas...