De-Industrialization

many northern cities in the United States experienced population decreases and a
degradation of urban areas.
Inner-city property values declined and economically disadvantaged populations moved
in. In the U.S., the new inner-city poor were often African-Americans that migrated from
the South in the 1920s and 1930s. As they moved into traditional white neighborhoods,
ethnic frictions served to accelerate flight to the suburbs.
United Kingdom
Britain experienced severe urban decay in the 1970s and 1980s exemplified by The
Specials' 1981 hit single "Ghost Town". Major cities like Glasgow, the towns of
the South Wales valleys, and some of the major industrial cities
like Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, and East London, all experienced population
decreases, with large areas of 19th-century housing experiencing market price collapse.
Some seaside resort towns have also experienced urban decay towards the end of the
20th century, due to the popularity of Package holidays to the continent.
France
Large French cities are often surrounded by areas of urban decay. While city centers
tend to be occupied mainly by upper-class residents, cities are often surrounded by
public housing developments, with many tenants being of North African origin (from
former French colonies Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia), and recent immigrants.
From the 50s to the 70s, publicly funded housing projects resulted in large areas of mid
to high-rise buildings. These modern "grands ensembles" were welcomed at the time,
as they replaced shanty towns and raised living standards, but these areas were heavily
affected by economic depression in the 80s.
The banlieues of large cities like Lyon, especially the northern Parisian banlieues, are
severely criticized and forgotten by the country's territorial spatial planning
administration. They have been ostracised ever since the
French Commune government of 1871, considered as "lawless" or "outside the law",
even "outside the Republic", as opposed to "deep France", or "authentic France", which
is associated with the countryside.
In November 2005, the French suburbs were the scene of severe riots sparked by the
accidental electrocution of two teenagers in the northern suburbs of Paris, and fueled in
part by the substandard living conditions in these areas. Many deprived suburbs of
French cities were suddenly the scenes of clashes between youngsters and the police,
with violence and numerous car burnings resulting in huge media coverage.
Today the situation remains generally unchanged; however, there is still a level of
disparity. Some areas are experiencing increased drug trafficking, while some northern
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