Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Urban rhythms 5: poverty
See here for introduction to the urban rhythms series.
Between 1886 and 1903 Charles Booth conducted the Inquiry into the Life and Labour of the People in London, the results of which were published in map form and are now available here. The map is coded with coloured blocks which describe the inhabitants of different buildings in the city according to a key ranging from black (‘Lowest class. Vicious, semi-criminal’) through blues and red to yellow (‘Upper-middle and Upper classes. Wealthy.’) The results revealed a diverse city made up of both rich and poor, often living in close proximity. Recent studies have found that whilst buildings may have come and gone the overall situation is not that much different today.
The map makes a direct connection between property and wealth but disregards many people and hides many of the subtleties that maintain this situation. Many people are homeless, whether living on the street or existing as nomads moved around ‘hotel’ rooms while authorities find them homes. House prices have risen beyond the reach of most first time buyers forcing them into long term rental situations. This year city bosses made sizable bonuses whilst the minimum wage is still £5.05 per hour. A living wage in London is £7.05.
With the wages we do get, or perhaps the credit we can find, we buy 'things'. We have homes full of widescreen tv’s, shoes, iPods, laptops, household appliances, clothes, gadgets… We own stuff, often so much stuff that we do not have room for it all at home. Instead we rent storage space where ‘things’ are left though never used.
presence | acceptance | balance | creativity | accountability | hospitality
image: Inquiry into the Life and Labour of the People of London
tags: rhythm of life, moot, London, urban, urban rhythms, poverty
Between 1886 and 1903 Charles Booth conducted the Inquiry into the Life and Labour of the People in London, the results of which were published in map form and are now available here. The map is coded with coloured blocks which describe the inhabitants of different buildings in the city according to a key ranging from black (‘Lowest class. Vicious, semi-criminal’) through blues and red to yellow (‘Upper-middle and Upper classes. Wealthy.’) The results revealed a diverse city made up of both rich and poor, often living in close proximity. Recent studies have found that whilst buildings may have come and gone the overall situation is not that much different today.The map makes a direct connection between property and wealth but disregards many people and hides many of the subtleties that maintain this situation. Many people are homeless, whether living on the street or existing as nomads moved around ‘hotel’ rooms while authorities find them homes. House prices have risen beyond the reach of most first time buyers forcing them into long term rental situations. This year city bosses made sizable bonuses whilst the minimum wage is still £5.05 per hour. A living wage in London is £7.05.
With the wages we do get, or perhaps the credit we can find, we buy 'things'. We have homes full of widescreen tv’s, shoes, iPods, laptops, household appliances, clothes, gadgets… We own stuff, often so much stuff that we do not have room for it all at home. Instead we rent storage space where ‘things’ are left though never used.
presence | acceptance | balance | creativity | accountability | hospitality
image: Inquiry into the Life and Labour of the People of London
tags: rhythm of life, moot, London, urban, urban rhythms, poverty
