1.Birmingham, Alabama is but one city I consider home (complicated family to say the least…). The region was formally a bustling steel industry with several major mills and plants spread throughout. Located almost somewhat in the center of Alabama, Birmingham infrastructure layout is like most other American cities. The most used transportation around the city and in the suburbs are cars as space isn’t as compacted as in heavily urbanized metropolis. Though there are sidewalks downtown, due to the large distances between different city building end uses it is more convenient to drive a car. The surrounding suburb likewise is an automobile centered with local city buses having a route on the major roads rather than through the suburbs themselves. With around a quarter of a million people, most people commute from the suburbs to work downtown than live and work in the same reasonable location. Due to several factors, one of them being socioeconomic, the downtown area has sections dominated by abandoned buildings, homeless people and crime. The city however, is slowly going through re-gentrification.

2.A city similar to Birmingham, Alabama in the module was Rochester, NY. Both populaces heavily rely on “commutes” for work, recreation and basic needs. Also both cities usually have supermarkets and etc. near or outside the suburbs rather than in them (high economic areas have suburbs and “needs” intertwined). Such layouts discourage pedestrian travel, as it would be neither practical nor convenient to travel on foot for several hours to and forth with groceries. With this social norm of driving everywhere, resident’s health may not be as well as it could be due to habitual stationary sitting, take-out foods and lack of movement among other things. Though Birmingham would surely benefit from having different housing designs to better meet contemporary needs, I think people would be better impacted if the social norm of eating unbalanced, breaded or fried food was revised.

3.More akin to Birmingham than any other city in this module, Detroit will be my other comparison. Though the urban landscape of Detroit and Birmingham aren’t different, as with other American cities, Detroit appears to be doing a better job of promoting urban farming than Birmingham. Though not on the scale of Michigan, Birmingham is more similar as a city due to current socioeconomic roles, predominant black community and a slow yet progressing rebuild. Both cities have numerous abandoned ravaged properties throughout counties inflicted with crime that discourages pedestrian transportation (due to safety) as well as a sense of community. Birmingham’s ineptitude of a local farmers community can be reflected in that Detroit “had to have” food deserts in order for people to begin growing food for themselves initially and then the community. Birmingham should follow Detroit’s example of designating a specific location at a specified time as a communal marketplace where local citizen can get produce from their growers rather than the only source being one-stop big brand supermarkets.