“Tent cities have much in common with the squatter camps of the Great Depression, but to simply call them Hoovervilles is to ignore their complexity. To truly understand them, one must look at current trends in the developing world, where informal urbanism—a form of “slum” development that takes place outside the conventions of city planning—is now the predominant mode of city-making.” (Para. 9 Pg. 388) In the article, “Camping for Their Lives”, by Scott Bransford, an investigative journalist, he sympathetically addresses the development of “tent cities” and the people who reside there. Bransford makes a compelling argument informing his audience on the political, economic, and social causes of the rise of homeless people living in tent cities in West America, such as Taco Flat, through real life examples, his word choice and manipulative language.
Bransford isn’t bias to any particular side in his article. He is sure to use facts and state quotes from residents the Taco Flat community to bring awareness to homelessness. All while not using his own personal opinions and never stating his position on the issue of homelessness in West America. Bransford…show more content… Anyone who reads this article should want to help find a solution for tent cities to make them better for the residents. And they should also have a clear understanding as to why and how people have come to be members of these communities. “Tent cities like Taco Flat are communities like any other, and if they are neglected, they will be lost to crime, addiction, and illness. Yet whenever officials act to destroy or stifle them with punitive regulations, they not only wipe out the pride of residents struggling to survive, they also jettison a spirit of self-reliance and innovation that could be harnessed to help meet the housing needs of the
