Merced is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, and as of 2002 the city had 68,048 people as their population and has increased to 82,594 residents as of 2018(1). This shows how many people the University of California has brought in since its opening. Since 2005, Merced has been home to University of California and this was the year of its first graduating class (2). There are not many recreational areas in Merced itself. Current recreational areas in the city include Applegate Park (which has the largest homeless infestation in town) and Bear Creek. Bear creek and Applegate both have many factors that make them central focus with the town community. The parks themselves are not very large and not kept well. The lack of upkeep adds to Merced’s …show more content…
Other than the lack of physical appeal there even is a small person to park ratio which assists in Merced’s high overweight rates (3). Merced also has the highest rates of tobacco and substance use. This has the city being placed as one of the worst cities in terms of health. Some health issues that Merced has to deal with are obesity, diabetes, cardiac issues, lung issues, high rates of asthma, and more. On the upper hand, there are small attractions that make Merced somewhat entertaining. There is a live-stage theater downtown called Playhouse Merced, two first-run movie theaters belonging to regal. Not to mention The Mainzer Theater, known for its historic and architectural value here in Merced. Lastly, but not least being the County Courthouse Museum circa 1889 and the County Library. Though still growing and noticeably quickly because of the University, Merced has had the same shopping mall center for years since 1969(4). The mall itself is in need of renovation because many of the stores are closed and it is advertised that the mall has everything one needs, but there are some sparse …show more content…
The Merced mall leans towards more the negative side of the city and is quite noticeable since the sign of the mall seems to have never been changed since its establishment in 1969. This is interesting enough in itself because looking back at this previous election for mayor Mike Murphy (5) who promised to improve the Merced mall by remodeling and bringing in better stores, but we are still living with shopping areas that are all brought together by the main stores Target, Sears, JCPenney and Kohl's. It is more of strip mall rather than a real on like the Vintage Faire mall located in Modesto a larger neighboring city. The Merced Mall is located on the city's northwest side of the city near the 99 which includes Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, and several restaurants that are not located in the same facility, but within a relative walking distance that noted in my mental maps. Speaking of storefronts and restaurants it seems Merced Main Street contains several restaurants, a movie theater, and other assorted shops such as Cold Stone creamery and even Billiards another communal space in
Kern County is located in the central valley of California. Bakersfield is the largest city in this county. According to the U.S. census in 2010, Kern County’s population contains 839,631 residents. The health of the county has been an alarming concern because Kern County is the least healthy county in California with more than 60% of its population considered obese. Kern County’s obesity rate, and the number of physically inactive residents are higher than both the state and national averages. Kern County has many health issues in their community, but they are slowly combatting their problems by establishing farmers’ markets, creating more walkways instead of having to drive everywhere, and also bringing community leaders and local organizations together to come up with the county Call-to-Action plan.
Catalina is a unique place since it has developed infrastructure and have resources to exploit that enable people to live in it. This unique characteristic attracts many people every year to enjoy different ranges of activities. Tourism is the only industry that Catalina has to the economy to fluctuate (“Visit Catalina Island.” 2014). Since the only income for Catalina Island has historically been tourism, the market has been exploited to be able to sustain the towns and enable further development. Both of the towns depend on tourism to survive, however this does not mean that they are similar. According to 2010 Census of Bureau the approximate population of Catalina was 4,096. Avalon had a population of 3,569 and the rest of the population is, Two Harbors and the Catalina Island Conservancy (337.37 km2), 527 (U.S. Census, 2011; “Visit Catalina Island,” 2014). As it can be observe, the amount of resident from each town is significantly different, and the major concentration is in Avalon. This points out that Avalon is a larger city not only demographically but also in population that may drive more people to visit.
From reading the author’s book “Ecology of Fear,” Mike Davis’ main thesis for writing this book was to make readers become aware of the underlying problems and threats which have existed or currently exist in Southern California and how these problems shape the way we live today and in the imminent future as well. Although Davis did not really provide us with any remedies for the problems facing Southern California, this book made it very clear to the readers that problems do still exist, although at times they may sound subtle in nature. Of the numerous problems which do exist in Southern California, I will discuss only a handful of the problems that Davis provided us insight to. In the following paragraphs, the main problems of Southern California that I will discuss about are suburbanization and how it made Southern California lose its natural beauty and the effects of overdevelopment, the wild fires which occur and similarities and differences the rich and poor communities faced in terms of adversity, how suburbanization brought people closer to the wildlife, and how numerous books and movies portrayed Los Angeles as the center for calamities. The culmination of all these problems clearly shows that there are many glaring weaknesses of Southern California that need to be closely examined.
As stated previously, Banff National Park offers a variety of activities which accommodate people from all backgrounds. However, more needs to be done to attract more visitors. Van Tighem, quoted in Klingbeil (2012), argues that “there are many ways to accommodate a lot of people in a landscape without actually having to fill it up with concrete and asphalt and steel.” It is essential to realize that tourists will come if they are given a unique experience, that does not necessarily include infrastructure. One way is by offering educational activities, to give visitors the opportunity to learn about what they are experiencing. Banff Management Plan highlights this issue, saying “the effectiveness of public education programs is not well measured” (2010). Consequently, visitation management needs to offer more education programs, which can be more closely monitored. Similarly, activities which are relevant to modern interests would be highly beneficial: Banff Management Plan states that this would “promote increased visitation and, through that, the deep personal connections that arise through personal experience of real, inspiring places” (2010). Subsequently, the Banff Community Plan states: “people come here to be inspired - and often, it’s why they come back.” Ultimately, visitation in the park would benefit off activities available within the town of Banff. An answer to the concern of less space within the town may be to utilize space around the base of the park for camping services. While there are currently 2,468 sites offering a “variety of services,” the peak season appears to be August, and the other months see fewer campers (Parks Canada). As a result, if short term sites were available to more experienced, low impact campers, this could lessen the environmental impact while increasing visitation. Draper
A waterfront area located in Philadelphia, known as Penn’s Landing, has become a central area of redevelopment over many decades. What used to be trees and shrubs has transformed into an area of hotels, museums, restaurants, casinos, stadiums, and much more. This 35-acre site has so much to offer and has become an important area of public space for anyone to visit and enjoy. Penn’s Landing is a public space that benefits the public by containing a mixture of residential life, entertainment, and retail that is supported by a long history of creation and redevelopment.
Somerset Mall has two sides to it, the South side that is the older of the two and the North side, which just opened in August of 1997.The sides are divided by Big Beaver Road and connecting the two sides is a glass covered walkway so people can go from ones side to the other without having to drive.It is located in the business district of Troy on the crossroads of Big Beaver and Cooliage.Somerset has a mostly upper to middle class cliental that frequent it.The South side is the more conservative side where you can find stores such as Saks 5th Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany’s and many more.This side is more for the older well to do people because it is the more expensive of the two sides.The North side, where I work, has a more contemporary vibe to it.There you will find stores such as Hudson’s, Nordstrom’s, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express, and a lot of others.This is where most people shop because it has everything from a food court and restaurants to trendy stores to a stage where plays are put on and right now a place to visit Santa.Compared to other malls Somerset is more snobby some would say because when you go there you feel like you have to dress nice just to go shopping.While other malls like Oakland Mall, also located in Troy, say you can feel comfortable there even if you shop in your P.J.’s.
This housing affordability crisis is stripping away it’s diversity at increasing rates and I feel that not enough is being done to restore it. Liz Pfeffer article “Is the Bay Area in a Housing Bubble or a Crisis?” describes the situation as, “San Francisco’s chronic problem is a lack of housing for middle and lower-income people. It’s not that they can’t afford it, it’s that it doesn’t exist”. Officials should collaborate on creating solutions to the root causes and offer alternatives that would release some of the pressure. I would suggest promoting micro-homes or smaller scaled homes, limiting foreign investors’s purchases of single-family homes, or expanding campuses of employers to areas that are not heavily populated. It is not too late to restore the balance but it will take collaboration and team work. I am urging these officials and activists to try and save the beloved culture of this area and help retain it as a place where social justice is recognized and
The city of Tempe is one that has continued to exhibit a vibrant and thriving community atmosphere that allows people to live with peace and in safety. It is a very populated area with many of the citizens being students, due to the very large and highly populated Tempe campus of Arizona State University. Because of this, the city of Tempe allows many people to use public transportation as a means to navigate throughout the area, allowing students whom live off campus to travel to and from school with ease. Its community atmosphere, many landmarks and districts, and transit systems allow people to travel throughout the city with ease and get nearly everything they need at many available locations. “The city of Tempe’s General Plan is organized and broken down into various elements of conservation, design, development, economics, history, land use, open space, public facilities, and transportation” (City of Tempe General Plan). All of the various elements of the city’s plan were organized and individually analyzed in...
Glenn, Stacia. "Youths Push for New Park." Student Research Center. N.p., 22 Aug. 2006. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
Four years ago the good citizens of this city voted to allow city funds to be allocated toward a new civic center located in the heart of Irvine. Four years ago the good citizens of this great city had no idea that a terrible pandemic would threaten their very lives and the lives of their loved ones. When signs of the flu season came around in late October this year, no one would have imaged that a disease, often with symptoms like a common cold, would have by the end of the year killed almost half of those killed in the Great War itself. Places all across the nation have had to deal with the sick and dying and Irvine is no exception.
California’s economy drops more and more every year, which causes there to be a rise in the homeless population. Homeless are impossible to avoid, especially in California, they have become people we see every day on the streets. Many factors increase the homeless population in California every year. Some of these factors include unemployment, mental illness/drug abuse, and prisoner release. With the homeless population rising there could be a huge health alert rising as well. As a community, we can decrease the population of homelessness.
Goss argues that developers and designers of the built environment, specifically shopping centers and malls, use the power of place and understanding the structural layout of the space to boost consumption of the retail profits. Shopping centers are separated from the downtown area of shopping, either by distance and/or design. These establishments emerge for many to be the new heart and location for public and social life. In his article The "Magic of the Mall": An Analysis of Form, Function, and Meaning in the Contemporary Retail Built Environment, Goss also argues that the regulation of the spaces within the mall creates an atmosphere of "community" rather than one that is "public". This article’s main argument is that developers manufacture an illusion of doing more than just shopping when designing malls and shopping centers.
This gigantic project is important because there are concerns that the new USC Village will displace local community members, many of which are Hispanic, low-income families, and raise the price of housing in the area, making it unaffordable for local residents (Saillant 2012). This would contribute to the idea that USC is slowly gentrifying the surrounding neighborhood, which would force less wealthy local residents out of their homes into less desirable neighborhoods, while bringing in relatively wealthy college students.
Growing up in a massive neighborhood magnificent. My neighborhood flooded with kids around my age to hang out with. Occupying the edge of this neighborhood was a large park where the neighborhood’s kids and I would spend most of our time eliminating their boredom. When this park would not satisfy our needs, there were
Finally, the mall is a wonderful entertainment center. Not only do people go there to shop, but they also got there for relaxation. There are movies sometimes as many as fifteen or sixteen. In addition, arcades are available for children, teens and adults. Some parents drop their children off at the arcade, give them a roll of quarters and pick them up after they have completed their shopping. For the hungry shopper there is a food court, which provides fast food for those shoppers who want to relax and possibly have a cocktail with their meal, other restaurants are available.