**Detoxing, Nurturing and reviving the city & community & Urban Renewal**

Communities that are functional are made up of people who share common concerns and issues, and work together towards a goal and similar vision. People are more productive because of the enhancements. The quality of neighborhoods in terms of housing conditions, poverty, toxicity, social structures, social networks, crime, educational institutions, residential mobility, and pollution affect the well-being of its residents including children and youth.

We have new health problems today due to urbanization and the growth of big cities because there are inadequate 'sanitary conditions and unsafe water. What are WE and the CITY going to do about it? Neighborhood toxicity (pollution), poverty (poor housing), can result in negative outcomes. These negative outcomes manifest deviant behavior in our children and families, and create unhealthy environments.

When neighborhoods and communities are renewed by adding new housing and businesses, already existing residents will have to either pay higher rental fees or move. Residents might be resistant to change feeling a sense of powerlessness, oppression, exploitation, and vulnerability lacking the power or authority to advocate on their behalf. How are people to seek help concerning the conditions of their community, environment, and living conditions, especially in Urban or low income neighborhoods where there are multiple barriers to face? In NYC, the term ‘Urban Renewal” is considered ‘Black Removal’ and now minority removal. The majority of the demographics living in these neighborhoods are African Americans and other ‘minorities’.

Classroom sizes, crowding, school attendance, lighting, cleanliness and climate conditions in school buildings are something to look at as they also affect child/adolescent’s health and development. Evans (2006) found that the smaller the classroom the more attention and degree of openness are present within classrooms. Studies that have been done on smaller classroom sizes showed evidence of positive outcomes of student’s grades from standardized exams, positive attitudes, good attendance and connectedness. Information about quality neighborhoods, housing and residential mobility that impact children’s development, issues of juvenile delinquency, and behavioral problems that show how children who live in multiple-dwelling units, and high rise buildings engage in higher criminal activity and manifested behavioral problems than those who live in low-rise buildings are found in Gillis (1974) article.

Articles

Evans, G.W. (2006). Child development and the physical environment: Annual Review of

Psychology, 57,423-451.

Gillis, A.R. (1974), "Population density and social pathology: the case of building type, social

allowance and juvenile delinquency", Social Forces, Vol. 53 pp.306-14.