Rant: I hate the term Urban Pioneer

[Walker Evans]

The Term “Urban Poineer” and Media Portrayals of the City
4 MAY 2011

A reporter from a local radio station recently interviewed me for a story about “urban pioneers.”

I didn’t think much of it, until I started reading this amazing book called Missing Women, Missing News. Turns out, this term is based on some pretty suspect assumptions about cities and the people who inhabit them.

READ MORE: http://rustwire.com/2011/05/04/the-term-urban-poineer-and-media-portrayals-of-the-city/

[KingLincolnUrbanEnthusiast]

great article and spot on Walker. I think the term is appropriate when you move into an inner city neighborhood, try to fix up your house and keep the crack heads from destroying what you have made nice and put a fence up to keep the criminals from steeling your lawn furniture and then install a security system to keep the thieves from breaking into your house then you qualify as an “urban pioneer” and are living on the frontier – where all your neighbors want to take what you’ve got! But there are places like this in the burbs and country side too!

[10sun]

KingLincolnUrbanEnthusiast wrote >>
great article and spot on Walker. I think the term is appropriate when you move into an inner city neighborhood, try to fix up your house and keep the crack heads from destroying what you have made nice and put a fence up to keep the criminals from steeling your lawn furniture and then install a security system to keep the thieves from breaking into your house then you qualify as an “urban pioneer” and are living on the frontier – where all your neighbors want to take what you’ve got! But there are places like this in the burbs and country side too!

You either did not read the article or have no reading comprehension.
You simply reinforce the suburban stereotypes and do NOTHING to help further the neighborhoods you so desperately wish to be associated with.
I’m sending you a blanket w/ smallpox.

[Liz Sloan]

Urban Pioneers are a three piece string band that spend over 250 days of the year playing hillbilly music for fine folks such as yourselves in the U.S. and abroad! Previously based out of TN, they are now rooted in Texas. Fiddle, banjo and upright bass make up their sound of sweet melodies, blistering fast tempos and a wide range of roots based influences.

[OneBagTravel]

It’s barely 6pm and Liz is already smashed.

[Ned23]

What else would you call people moving to a former industrial/warehouse area, particularly an area that’s largely vacant of existing residents?

[Author]

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