SO Jewett Nature :: essays papers

SO Jewett Nature The Conception of Nature and its Relationship to Gender in S.O. Jewett^Ã’s story "A White Heron." "Nature, in the common sense, refers to the essences unchanged by man^Ã…" From the very first steps of the new settlers on the American continent, its uncivilized nature, full of smell of the forests, of freshness of the air, and of almost prelapsarian variety of flora and fauna, came to be associated with unlimited wilderness. However, under the vigorous attack of developing civilization the untouched virginity of the New World soon began to recede, irretrievably losing its wild independent beauty. For a great number of American writers this confrontation of nature with civilization became a theme for the never-ending discussion. The short story of an American writer regionalist Sarah Orne Jewett, "A White Heron", is one of the works written on this touching American theme. In this story the author presents the conflict by juxtaposing a little country-girl Sylvia, who lives in harmony with nature, to the bird-hunter from a town. She does so through identification of a girl with nature and boys ^ with civilization. While the girl stands for the innoc ent femininity of natural world, who loves and cares about the creatures around, the boys are associated with aggression, danger and warlike elements of civilization. Thus she implies the idea that nature is just like a harmless little girl just exists in peace with every tiny thing around, while civilization, like a young man with a gun, by its utilitarian love for nature senselessly annihilates the artless creation. From the opening lines of the story Sarah Orne Jewett ushers her readers into the magic world of untouched beauty of the "New England wilderness" (WH, p.200): "the woods were already filled with shadows one June evening^" (WH, p.197). The reader is immediately charmed and has no choice but to proceed, to walk further, among the trees, until he meets a little girl, walking by the forest path together with her "plodding" (WH, p.

Urban Renewal

What is Urban renewal? Discuss the issues and strategies of urban renewal of a state capital. Urban renewal is a program of land re-development in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. It can be envisaged as the physical and infrastructural changes in land use, built environment or intensity of the use of land or building that could be considered as inevitable outcome of the action from economic, social, political, technical and environmental forces acting upon urban areas at different times of its existence.It is a program designed to help communities improve and revitalize areas that have deteriorated, are unsafe and/ or show signs of economic or physical conditions that are detrimental to the community as a whole. Urban renewal could be in the form of: -Physical change: Part of land is developed as a multistory building. -Infrastructural change: widening of roads, introduction of metro-rail, etc. -Change in land use: function of building changes, keeping the structure same eg residential to commercial -Change in built form: increase in no. of storeys. Change in environment: congestion on road cleared, trees planted , garbage removed, etc. In the second half of the 20th century, renewal often resulted in the creation of urban sprawl and vast areas of cities being demolished and replaced by freeways and expressways, housing projects, and vacant lots, some of which still remain vacant at the beginning of the 21st century. Urban renewal's effect on actual revitalization is a subject of intense debate. It is seen by proponents as an economic engine, and by opponents as a regressive mechanism for enriching the wealthy at the expense of taxpayers and the poor.It carries a high cost to existing communities, and in many cases resulted in the destruction of vibrant—if run-down —neighborhoods. Urban renewal in its original form has been called a failure by many urban planners and civic leaders, and has since been reformulated with a focus on r edevelopment of existing communities. Over time, urban renewal evolved into a policy based less on destruction and more on renovation and investment, and today is an integral part of many local governments, often combined with small and big business incentives.But even in this adapted form, Urban Renewal projects are still widely accused of abuse and corruption. Behind the idea of urban renewal was a belief that if the government removed people from such places and put them in better places, it would improve not only their lives and their self-image, but also their behavior. This idealistic philosophy became common in America by the end of World War I. IMPORTANCE OF URBAN RENEWAL Urban renewal is critical to the success of local communities and the long-term prosperity of citizens living in urban areas.Without urban renewal, there would be no incentive for developers to tackle the challenges associated with redevelopment, and deteriorating downtown areas would be subject to increase d crime and safety problems, while continued growth on the fringes of communities would add to the problem of urban sprawl. NEED FOR URBAN RENEWAL – Rise in land value – Expansion of service centers – Change in transportation mode – Latest realization of global energy scenario. BENEFITS OF URBAN RENEWALProviding matching funds for money from other sources (such as state or federal grants) Funding infrastructure, which brings additional funds to the community through permit fees, system development charges (SDCs), water and sewer hook? up charges, etc. Increasing the value of property next to the urban renewal district. Improving the quality of life through new or renovated parks, roadways, civic and cultural facilities, and expanded economic development OBJECTIVES OF URBAN RENEWAL – To eliminate sub optimal uses To create conditions for efficient and economic use of scarce and costly urban infrastructure. – To improve the efficiency of urban system – To reduce social cost of urban development and arrange for cross financing Urban renewal also took hold in medium sized cities, many of which used urban renewal laws to pay for public housing, new bridges, and new thoroughfares. There was a time when the phrase â€Å"urban renewal† was a popular one. But today it often carries a negative connotation, regardless of the truth, however, urban renewal did a lot to change cities.Chicago's now demolished Cabrini-Green housing project, one of many urban renewal efforts. Issue: -Cities unfortunately with some exceptions, have not been enabled to look inward and build on their inherent capacities, both financial and technical, and instead are still being seen in many states as ‘wards’ of the State governments. -A major failure of city governance has been our inability to address the needs of the poor – basic services like drinking water supply, sanitation, housing and social services are not availa ble to an increasing share of urban population. The latent creativity and vitality of our cities and the people who live in them must be tapped to facilitate higher economic growth. -Substantially upgrade the delivery of basic and other urban services which are in bad state. -Understand the cost and impact of providing poor basic services in the urban areas, so that efficient services can be planned. -Plan for generating gainful employment opportunities and environmental safeguarding adopting community centered approach.Provide opportunities and funds for capacity building, skill development, vocational training, and flow of micro- credit. -The Development Commission (PDC) uses urban renewal as a tool to help specific areas of the city realize capital projects – parks, streetscape improvements, community centers, and the like that would not happen on their own. A house in Nashville before urban renewal URBAN RENEWAL SCHEMES Components of Urban Renewal: – Urban redevelo pment – Urban Rehabilitation – Conservation: – Preservation – Rebuilding – Reuse – Replication Urban renewal funds can be used for . . .Infrastructure (including such basic improvements as curbs and sidewalks, streets, sewers, flood control, and utility relocation and improvement) Public improvements (such as parks and open space, pedestrian and bike trails, landscaping and streetscaping, parking lots and parking structures, transportation improvements, helping to construct public buildings and facilities) In certain cases, redevelopment assistance for housing or commercial uses (such as land acquisition and site preparation or other public improvements) Planning and engineering (such as design, traffic and engineering studies); technical assistance to property owners and developers, and staff support from the renewal agency SITE SELECTION – Should be around or within prime location – Should intervene problem areas – Lan d should be easily available – Utility plan showing linkages with offsite infrastructure – Landscape proposals SEQUENCE OF PROJECT FORMULATION – Preparation of survey maps. Types of survey maps are: -Tourism map – 1:100000 – City map – 1:50000 – Police station map : 1:63366 ( 1† to a mile) Revenue survey map : 1:600 (plot size and built up spaces) – Identification of project area and influence area – Conduct field survey to collect socio economic data – Land maps, land holding pattern, building height , building edge etc. – Traffic information – Utility services – Financial status – Scheme/ concept preparation – Land use distribution – Future built form – Circulation plan EXECUTION OF THE SCHEME – Land acquisition – Payment of compensation – Construction of rehabilitation structures – Clearance of site and site development – Removal of under-gound utilities and relaying of utilities – Development of roads and other open areasWhen the site is ready for construction , it is either leased out to promoters or Development authorities themselves start the construction. The urban renewal of a state capital involves: Working: The basic idea behind urban renewal is simple: future tax revenues pay for revitalization efforts. The City Council, acting on the recommendations of a community based steering committee and PDC, draws a line around an area (the urban renewal boundary) and identifies desirable improvements within that area (the urban renewal plan). The city issues urban renewal bonds to pay for the identified improvements. As property values increase in the area due to new investment, the rise in property tax revenues (called â€Å"tax increment†) is used to pay off the urban renewal bonds.This financing method is called tax-increment financing, and it is the most common method of paying for improvements in an urban renewal area. Kind of projects : Urban renewal funds can be used for a variety of capital investments, such as: Redevelopment projects, such as projects near light rail that combine retail and residential components. Economic development strategies, such as small-business loans or loan programs tied to family-wage jobs. Housing loans and other financial tools for ownership and rental housing which serve a variety of income levels. Streetscape improvements, including new lighting, trees, sidewalks, pedestrian amenities, etc. Transportation enhancements, including light rail, streetcar, intersection improvements, etc. Parks and open spaces.Roots of urban renewal : Urban renewal emerged in the late 1940s as an attempt to revitalize central cities, which were losing population and resources to new post-war suburbs. Until the 1960s, urban renewal was a federal program used to clear large areas of land largely to provide what was then considered to be improved hou sing conditions for thousands of people. It also funded large projects such as hospitals, highways and civic centers. The funding mechanisms and purposes of urban renewal changed in its early decades, but the term broadly referred to a set of programs and policies meant to counter inner-city disinvestment and reinvigorate declining downtown areas. Criteria : Urban renewal areas must show evidence of some degree of blight, demonstrated by conditions such as poorly constructed buildings, faulty planning, lack of open spaces, deteriorated properties, an incompatible mix of uses and improper utilization of land. -Urban renewal areas, their principles and the specific projects funded by them are conceived in consultation with citizen committees who represent a broad spectrum of community interests. In addition, three public bodies must approve any new urban renewal area: the Portland Development Commission, the Portland Planning Commission, and City Council. -In urban renewal areas, publ ic investment is used to stimulate private investment on a much larger scale.The amount of urban renewal funds invested in any one area is small compared to the private investment that follows. -Urban renewal is primarily used to update and improve an area's infrastructure — through capital expenditures on transportation improvements and parks for example — and to provide incentives for desired development such as affordable housing, family-wage jobs and building refurbishment. -Urban renewal is designed to benefit all people within the urban renewal area, in surrounding neighborhoods and throughout the city and metropolitan area. -The urban renewal plan, which guides all public spending in the area, is conceived by citizens who are best able to make decisions about how to improve their neighborhood. Urban renewal can be a strong and effective tool to protect long-term affordability in revitalizing neighborhoods by financing the construction of affordable housing. -Urb an renewal works to revitalize communities within the existing built environment. -Promote livelihood opportunities through skill building and enhancement of entrepreneurship. Enable public private partnership arrangement covering infrastructure development and service delivery. -The realization of the overall programme goal of improving the quality of life for all is possible only through the framework of long term development plan, replacing the narrow project based approach.

Book Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 714 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/05/21 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Catcher in The Rye Essay Did you like this example? In the book, Catcher in the Rye, wrote by J.D. Salinger has used the term phony to address people, objects, and situations that are brutal. Holdenrs way of saying phony is when someone acts fake. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Book Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger" essay for you Create order He thinks that when people try to portray someone who their not are phonies to him. Holden is suggesting that rejects them as humans since they arent normal like him. Holden can see the ideal conflict of our hypocritical world that we live in. He accepts that the adults are too phony that they cant really see their own. He doesnt want a future for himself because he knows that one day he will become an adult and he will be like the rest of them. In his eyes and thoughts, growing up means that he will become a phony and when holden meets someone new, he can tell if they are phonies or not. Holden didnt hesitate when he called Mr. Ossenburger, an alumnus at Pencey who made cash by executing cheap funeral and he would talk about praying to God and achieving in life before you can donate the money to Pencey and having a building named after him, a phony. In chapter 3 Holden said he would show up to school in this big goddam Cadillac, and we all had to stand up in the grandstand and give him a locomotivethats a cheer (p16). Holden is calling him a phony because Mr. Ossenburger always talked about how he was never ashamed as well as praying to Jesus, but he uses funerals as an opportunity to take advantage of the families who are mourning on there lost members behalf. He would always see it as a business and an easy way to make money, but Holden refers to him as cheat for talk about something he himself doesnt follow. Holden thinks that itrs phony to show respect to someone who doesnt even follow his own beliefs and who finds a way to bargain people while at the same time hers making money from it. The fact that one man is getting rich of off dead people is one example of phoniness in this world. Also, the school that Holden goes to is also phony for naming a dorm after Mr.Ossenburger for the purpose that he gave them money. Holden has two preferences on phoniness which are to lie and to continue being a kid mentally not physically. Holden mentioned that he is the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life(p16). As Holden continues to believe this, he is being a crook and is also fighting against the inevitable. He is trying to dodge phoniness by any means. Holden thinks that by not growing up he will continue to be innocent and real but in reality, he cant avoid growing up. He is deceitful to himself and the more he keeps lying to himself, the more he is going to fail in life. Hers already irresponsible, in the way he spends his money and the attempt he puts into school, violent, and immature, for having the understanding that he doesnt want to grow up. I think that Holdenrs fear of becoming a phony is bigger than that. Since Holden thinks that adults are phony, he struggles to grow up and stumbles to join with the rest of them in the world. His alternative would be to conserve his innocence since it rs the opposite to phoniness and the only way that people can be genuine. Holden thinks a lot about Phoebes childhood innocence. In Chapter 10, Holden mentions his sister. Youd like her. I mean if you tell old Phoebe something, she knows exactly what the hell youre talking about. I mean you can even take her anywhere with you. Holden has a lot of fondness for his sister and they connect so well. She is one of the few people he doesnt consider as phony. Phoebes actions show Holden how angelic she is compared to the outside world, the adult world that takes innocence. If Phoebe were to enter our world, she would end up turning phony. By these means, Holden does not want to be phony. But yet again, itrs irresistible because hers already one for being a crook and trying to avoid adulthood.