Consequences of massive housing destruction: The New York city fire epidemic

What are the social and economic consequences of massive destruction of housing? A case study of the New York City fire epidemic of the 1970s is presented. Decision-makers regarded old neighbourhoods (with low-income families and/or racial minorities) as wastelands and developed policies such as urban renewal and reductions in public services ('planned shrinkage') which negatively impacted on the physical and social fabrics. Structural and functional continuity even after a disturbance - ecological resilience - depends on many non-disjunctive 'loose' relationships to diffuse these impacts. Systems based on 'tight' relationships amplify impacts. Families with resources relocate and reduce the community diversity and the density of loose ties. Low-income families whose homes are destroyed weaken the remaining social networks. The remnant cannot maintain social norms. This displacement leads to two possibilities: many small social networks that do not interact; or one large tight network with low diversity. The former confers pathological resilience; the latter, extreme fragility. Neither enforces social norms or generates political power. Both foster risk behaviours and hamper socialization of youth. Thus, concentrated housing destruction destroys healthy resilience and social control and support. Indirectly, it elevates the mortality rate through increased risk behaviours, high death rates among vulnerable elderly, and infectious and chronic diseases.