The spatial distribution of socio-economic opportunity in the Salt Lake Metropolitan area
Creators: name: Hood, Ronald Charles
Publisher: name: University of Utah
Year: 2019
Subjects: Salt Lake City (Utah)
Economic conditions

description: The purposes of this thesis are to illuminate the present state of white and minority socio-economic opportunity in the city and suburbs, to determine. if the rationale of current economic hypotheses regarding the spatial distribution of socio-economic opportunity are relevant to the Salt Lake situation, and, on the basis of these findings, to determine.which local policy programs should be relied upon or implemented to improve the economic situation of the poor city and suburban residents. For purposes of analysis. the metropolitan area has been divided into three study areas--a core area which consists of census tracts identified as poor in the center of the city, a ring area which includes all census tracts not included in the core but within the incorporated city limits. and a suburban area composed of census tracts outside the incorporated limits of the city. Statistical information relating to characteristics of the populations in each of these three areas is based upon 1960 and 1970 census data. Chapter I indicates that many economists believe that declining economic opportunity in the cities and expanding suburban opportunities have resulted in a deterioration of the economic situation of a large number of ghetto minorities who do not have access to the burgeoning suburban 'labor market. Many.policy programs have developed in recent years to counteract this problem. The rationale of those economists who advocate programs. which would either relocate the poorest ghetto residents to low-cost suburban housing, or provide transportation to suburban job sites, are discussed (their position is categorized as the 'conventional wisdom') and contrasted with the rationale of the opponents of such programs. The opponents ' policy proposals range from community or ghetto development to government employment. Tables' are presented in Chapter II which reflect the prevailing state of socio-economic opportunity in the Salt Lake Metropolitan Area. These tables provide data on general characteristics of the study areas and pop-ulations educational attainment levels, labor force participation rates, employment and unemployment. and the incidence of poverty. Evaluation of these tables showed that both white and minority socio-economic opportunity generally improved from the core area to the suburban area. The exception to this pattern was observed among the Negroes in the suburbs. However, the Negroes' situation did improve from the core to the ring area. Substantial variations in many of the characteristics evaluated were also found between the white and minority populations. In most cases, the minority economic status was less favorable than that of the whites. In Chapter III the relevance of the premises advanced by the proponents and opponents of the 'conventional wisdom' are analyzed in terms of the ,prevailing spatial distribution of economic opportunity in the Salt Lake area. Although it was found that socio-economic opportunity improved from the Salt Lake core area to the suburbs--an idea which is implicit in the rationale of the conventional wisdom'--it was also determined that there were considerable numbers of people in the Salt Lake suburbs who were underemployed, unemployed, had low educational levels, and who were poor. Consequently, it would not be prudent to introduce more of the Salt Lake City poor into the suburban area. This position is consistent with the arguments of the opponents of the • conventional wisdom. In Chapter IV it is indicated,that approximately 9,000 higher-paying jobs are required in the Salt Lake Metropolitan Area to reduce a significant proportion of poverty. Community development programs must be implemented which will contribute to establishing the progressive image which the area requires attract high paying industrial firms. In the interim, the plight of the city and suburban poor can only be ameliorated through the programs of existing social service agencies.