Ethics in Urban Planning Essay Example for Free

Ethics in Urban Planning Essay What is the law on eminent domain all about? Eminent Domain is the power of the State over all the properties within its jurisdiction, both public and private. The purpose being to empower the State to appropriate property for public use – for new and road widening projects, bridges, military installations, public parks and even urban renewal (Larson, 2004). In case of private properties, how does eminent domain apply? Well, properties that the Government deems as vital for public use and welfare can be seized from private owners based on the provisions of the law on eminent domain. But the Constitution, particularly the Fifth Amendment, guaranties that â€Å"No person shall be †¦ deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation† (Hornberger, 2005). Is the law on eminent domain ethical? The answer is an absolute no. It may be legal but it does not hold any moral definition. It is still classified as large-scale theft that is backed up by legal parameters. We live based on the principles of morality that abhors theft. In fact, the customs and laws of all civilized societies prohibit any form of banditry. In the exercise of our individual freedom, we as a people have the right to use our property in ways we deemed fit – unless we infringe on the rights of other people (Tenney, 1995). In our democratic system, do we exercise our right of suffrage to make stealing legal? It sounds like people casting their votes simply because they wanted your property sequestered. Where do ethics apply then? What are the consequences? Basically, the law on eminent domain was enacted to provide a leeway for the government in the planning of its developmental projects. Projects include road improvement, probably runway extensions or perhaps public hospitals. Private lands are purchased by the government for this purpose, based on a fair market value and as guaranteed by the Constitution. This provision becomes necessary so that the government can proceed with development without the process of lengthy litigation. Lately however, the scenario has been altered with the law on eminent domain applied even on urban renewal. This is where the abuse of discretion engages a number of government officials, all in the guise of development. This scheme is morally repugnant though it does not end at that point because with the eminent domain as the carrot stick, this marginally reduces the purchase price of the property. What has government got to do with it (Tenney, 1995)? Remember that development plans rests solely on the hands of government, so a slight deviation on the zoning area reclassification would normally affect property values. Imagine if your property lies on a commercial zone and the government suddenly establishes it as part of an industrial zone, the real estate property value is likely to plummet due to rising environmental concerns. The consequence is you are likely to sell it at much reduced price. But this scheme is just the tip of the iceberg, as more devious schemes are in the offing. The most unforgiving plan of government involves the declaration of a specific area as suffering from urban blight. Blighted areas, for purposes of urban renewal, refers to areas that in the process of deterioration being a haven of uncontrolled vices (drug addicts, alcoholics and other scum of society) where the crime rate is really high or an area that is already rendered useless which may include vacant lands and air rights. Who will then determine if the property falls under the category of blighted areas? This will be up to the discretion of the government and most likely this is where abuse is glaringly documented, particularly in cases where the government is in cahoots with property developers. When this happens, government has the right to raze the property and sell it to developers with the intention of making it into an attractive urban development (Blight, 2001). In most instances areas that are declared â€Å"urban blights† normally conforms to urban redevelopment. Areas that suffer from these types of classifications are low-cost housing communities with correspondingly low revenues where homeowners who have been in domicile for years while paying regular amortization to secure rights to the property. In these instances, these homeowners are suddenly met with the prospects of relocation. With the area categorized as such, the real property value is extremely low that the proceeds of the sale are not even enough to pay for the downpayment for another unit in a new housing development site (Parlow, 2007). What about areas in commercial districts that have been subjected to the process of eminent domain? The owner may have lived or conducted business in the area for the past twenty years but the government has the temerity to invoke the provisions of eminent domain to take control of said property simply because the adjacent school needs a playground or perhaps a football field. Where do ethics come in or is this just plain common sense? If you are the owner of the property, will you be not in arms to stop the proceedings? Where is morality then? We trumpet the virtues of democracy to the outside world and yet in our own backyard we practice anarchy (Parlow, 2007). This will all redound to displacement of all families affected by the claws of eminent domain. Families will be evicted from their properties good if there is a ready site for relocation at least people can endure the inconvenience. But in most cases no relocation areas have been secured. Families will now be subjected to the task of searching for a new place as a consequence of eviction. What about their transportation need to and from work, school for their children and perhaps the affordable medical services that were readily available in their previous area (Blight, 2001). The final consequence maybe and I hope that this will not be met by evicted homeowners or storeowners or they could be relegated as the new scum of society, being degraded to a bunch of homeless citizens that have the potential of creating troubles for the government. The government shall have increased the problems associated with the housing needs and get the ire of the population. What then has this accomplished for the government in the end? Nothing, except perhaps that it compounds the problems of the locality (Hornberger, 2005). The law really smacks moral decadence, for how can you humanly evict families from their abodes without paying them fairly. Some may have inherited the property and as an ancestral abode, no amount would suffice in return for its sentimental value in the same way that no amount could compensate for the Statue of Liberty, being the symbol of freedom that Americans deeply treasure. How can you possibly sell an heirloom – a gift from the people of France, this is no longer a question of ethics, not even morality though it borders on bad taste and greed. What are the effects? Proponents of the measure on eminent domain will always sing the sad melody of development. Be that as it may, we can never stop development from happening because it is dictated by the social status of the locality. But can we not negotiate with property owners so they can also profit from the property they have tenuously preserved and paid for? It is more of a question of fair value for their property, an issue that is often ignored. Even for this gesture alone, the government, particularly the developers will benefit from the support and approval of the property owners. Let us not bully our neighbors by invoking the right of eminent domain, because that simply will not work. Who then does not desire physical development? When it means convenience to the inhabitants, particularly interchanges, super-highways, a modern airport terminal, a dazzling sports arena, an upbeat school campus or a modern hospital. Urban development on formerly blighted areas will be a big boost to the local trade as new shopping malls, five-star hotels, office towers and condominiums will be constructed. The local labor force will benefit as well, since hundreds or maybe thousands of jobs will be made available. It will be a shot in the arm for the local economy since development will encourage a lot of investors to take a chance on the improved infrastructure facilities. The government will likewise benefit from increased revenues and create more funds to finance the needs of local inhabitants. But most of all, this would drastically alter the locality’s image and skyline for the better. With a booming economy, the government can now plan ahead. Maybe exploit some more the bonanza that the new development concurred and build additional facilities to meet the increasing population requirements. As the citizen’s quality of life improves, new facilities will be needed, housing shortage will be felt, traffic congestion is possible as more and more cars will ply the streets and entertainment will be the call of the majority. The problems associated with crime and security will quadruple, new personnel will be added, police cars and gadgets will be required by our law enforcement agencies. There will be no stopping, once the wheel of development starts to roll. Then when everything seems to have settled and everybody is accustomed to the set-up, the arms of development will try to break the already serene environment. So the government will now invoke their right of eminent domain and the result, chaos strikes once again. It will be an unending cycle. The population will simply have to bear inconvenience and unfair treatment in the name of development. It is in the outlying implementation of eminent domain that government failed because officials can be motivated only with the expected revenues from the urban renewal project to disregard their main advocacy and moral obligation to its constituents – to promote, protect, and upheld the rights of the populace. Conclusion The moral and ethical question of the law on eminent domain had been subjected to criticisms from all sectors of society. It may be an effective tool for government to spice up development, but it oftentimes falls oppressive to many property owners. Sadly, the people’s right to their property has been trampled once again with no less than the Supreme Court of the United States stamping its approval on the right of government to invoke the provisions of eminent domain. Consider this. In 1954 the Supreme Court gave a ruling in a controversial case that â€Å"effectively gave government officials unlimited power to confiscate and redistribute lands†, arguing that â€Å"the concept of public welfare is broad and inclusive. The values it represents are spiritual as well as physical, aesthetic and monetary. It is within the power of the legislature to determine that the community should be beautiful as well as healthy, spacious as well as clean, well-balanced as well as carefully patrolled† (Tenney, 1995). The comment of the High Court was indeed a chilling premonition since this gave government officials the legal right to evict anybody from their properties when necessary and at their convenience. In effect this erased the intentions of our forefathers and the framers of the Constitution the absolute right of individuals to hold on to their properties (Tenney, 1995). Just recently, in a new and daunting case of Kelo vs. City of New London, Connecticut, the High Court upheld the previous ruling of 1954. In fact after due proceedings, a notice was posted at the door of the petitioner’s home stating that the petitioner have four months to vacate the property or else power police power will be used to prosecute the order based on the power of eminent domain (Larson, 2004). Is the ruling even fair? Is it morally correct to inflict undue suffering to the respondents? And is it ethical? The answer is no. That is why all the States of the Union are putting up legislations to curb the damning influence and abuse on the power of the law on eminent domain. How it will affect the future, your guess will be as good as mine!

Business Organizations In A Global Context Commerce Essay

Business Organizations In A Global Context Commerce Essay What is a business organization? A business organization can be defined as one or more business, which has in common the person or group of people controlling it. An organization may have more than one business but a business is limited to one organization. Business organization uses a systematic approach to achieve goals. Its people, the process in place and the policies are used to ensure that the organizations mission is realised. Within the structure of the organization is its culture which is essential to the success of the organization as it hinges on the workforce working together towards a shared goal Section 1 The Key Difference Between Global Business Operations Businesses are started for any number of reasons. And there are endless types of business due to the very fact that they are all started up by different people with different personalities and goals. There are three main sectors in the business world: private, public and voluntary. The private sector is made up of organizations that are privately or independently owned and not part of the government. This sector includes corporations (profit and non-profit), partnerships and charities. Retail stores, credit unions and local business operate in the private sector. The main objectives of businesses in this sector revolve around maximum sales and market growth. Examples of Private Sector Organizations are McDonalds, Tesco and Apple. The public sector is usually composed of organizations that are owned and operated by the government. They are established to achieve different objectives of society. The public sector operates on the taxes collected. Within the public sector lie public corporations. These have been set up by Acts of Parliament to run an industry or service. Examples of such corporations are Bank of England, BBC and the Royal Mint. Voluntary groups are set up by ordinary people and they aim to help others in the local community. Although they are not owned by any one individual, someone is elected to take responsibility of setting targets, budgets and day to day running of the group. In the recent past, businesses have seen a change in the economic setting. The domestic market is no longer able to meet the demands of the globalised people. Businesses have developed to ensure it thrives in the age of globalization. This development has made many domestic businesses become a household name worldwide. Besides globalization, an improved communication technology has also been a key factor in the success of these globally operating organizations. This allows efficient communication and swift access to global markets. One other strategy employed by global organizations is market research. This will help organizations pin point profitable areas for marketing. The internet and world-wide web has made available databases which enable organizations to access relevant information at a reasonable cost Section 2 The Impact of External Factors on Organization A number of factors are taken into consideration when measuring how the performance of a national economy impacts the activities of business organizations. Output effect: this is a measure profits generated by businesses in the UK Income effect: this is a measure of total income generated by businesses in the UK Employment effect: this is a measure of the number of jobs created by a businesses in the UK Further to this the direct, indirect and induced impacts of the categories above are generated using the IMPLAN methodology where the effects of the aforementioned are combined to reflect the total economic impact on the activities of business organizations. Direct impact: represents the purchase of goods and services by business owners from other businesses in the UK Indirect impact: represents business- business transactions, where the suppliers of the business owners purchase goods and services from other suppliers in the country Induced impact: The employees of the business owners and the employees of the indirectly affected businesses purchase goods and services in the UK. The second wave of economic impacts known more commonly as the induced effect is created b these purchases. The government has taken numerous steps to influence businesses. In some regions their influence is great but in most parts of the world they are kept at bay by capitalist leanings. Among the measures taken by governments is positive discrimination, also known as affirmative action. The term affirmative action was first used in the United States in  Executive Order 10925  and was signed by President  John F. Kennedy  on 6 March 1961; it was used to promote actions that achieve non-discrimination. Itrequires government employers to take affirmative action to hire without regard to race, religion and national origin. This law forces businesses to hire staff they might not have considered to hire in the past. Section 3 The Impact of Global Factors on Business Organizations How businesses are run differ country to country. A combination of a number of factors such as marketing, sales and technical skills are required to increase the productivity of a business. What makes a business successful relies a lot on the staff and the world experience they bring to the business. This varied background is what brings fresh insights to solving old problems as issues are seen from different viewpoints. Global integration is a challenge faced by all organizations. The environment in which the business is in prescribes changes in the structure of the organization. In addition to this there is also language, culture and regulations to deal with. In this instance it is essential that the organization does its best to foresee complications that may arise and put in place actions to overcome them. International trade has both good and bad effects on domestic products and services. International trade pumps money into local economies, which helps produce more goods for the local markets. It helps expand the local markets because the money derived from it goes into other business ventures. On the negative side, international trade shrinks local markets because some imports are far much cheaper than local manufactured goods. This results in people shunning local goods for the cheaper imports. The global economy has had an amazing impact on the way companies do business. In addition to the tremendous opportunities for growth and expansion into new markets that it brings, it also leads to interesting and unique challenges, as have been mentioned in the earlier paragraph. When contemplating expanding internationally organizations should consider a number of factors in order for it to be successful. Being strategic about the countries chosen to expand in Having a local presence in the country Taking into careful consideration the people, the culture and business environment Ensure all employees who are not local be given cultural awareness training Financial stability Developments in technology have made communications swifter and more efficient. Information Communication Technology has had a very positive impact on global economy. It can be said that ICT is one of the precursors to the success of global economy. Emails and internet ready mobile phones has allowed globalization to take place. The internet is also key to the achievements in banking, production of capitalism and globalization. ICT has made the banking industry the economic mover of the world. The adoption of ICT in banks has improved customer services, facilitated accurate records, provides forHome and Office Banking services, ensures convenient business hour, prompt and fair attention, and enhances fasterservices.ICT directlyaffects how managers decide and plan and what products and services are offered in thebanking industry. It has continued to change the way banks and their corporate relationships areorganized worldwide and the variety of innovative devices available to enhance the speed and qualityof service delivery. Not only has ICT impacted the globalization of banking, it had also impacted productivity. Productivity is one of the driving forces of economic progress. ICT has impacted economic progress in two ways. Firstly it has made it possible for an organization to spread itself around the globe, i.e. headquarters in London, design facilities in California and manufacture in China. The second way in which ICT has affected productivity lie in the ways in which companies are producing. Lines in the manufacturing industry which used to rely heavily on manpower have been replaced by computerised robotic production lines leading to faster, more efficient and better quality products. Section 4 A Review of the Current Issues Impacting On Business Activities After the recession of 2010, the global financial system remained fragile but this did not last for very long as economies started moving toward recovery and growth. Some economies, especially those from the emerging markets, continued to grow rapidly. There are six broad, long-term developments that shape the business world: Emerging markets increase their global power Clean-tech becomes a competitive advantage Global banking seeks recovery through transformation Governments enhance ties with the private sector Rapid technology innovation creates a smart, mobile world Demographic shifts transform the global workforce Global economies are strongly unified that companies, governments and industries will find that they are forced to cooperate in ways they did not imagine a few years ago. Ernst  Ã‚  Young believe the six trends are themselves connected by three underlying drivers that have helped establish each trend and perpetuate it. Demographic shifts that see population growth, increased urbanization, a widening divide between countries with youthful and quickly aging populations and a rapidly growing middle class are reshaping not only the business world, but also society as a whole. Reshaped global power structure. The balance of global power between the public and private sector has shifted quickly as the world recovers from the worst recession in decades. Disruptive innovation.  Improvements in technology continue to have massive effects on business and society. Emerging markets have become sourcesof innovation, especially in its efforts to reach the growing middle class and low-income consumers around the globe. As these trends change the ways in which businesses operate, grow and compete, winners and losers inevitably will emerge. The winners will be easy to identify. These are the organizations that will monitor trends in the environment, look for talent everywhere and embrace technology. They look outwards in their attempt to adapt to local environments and create global workforces. They are looking in to ways in which Clean-tech can fit into their growth plans and making it part of their global strategy. It is essential for organizations to develop strategies that will help expand the business in the environment it is set in. These strategies should address the issues that affect the business. A deep knowledge of the culture of the environment is key to success. Understanding the values and beliefs will promote the business as this makes the locals feel that the organization respects its interests and needs. Many times language can be a barrier. If effective communication does not take place business activities will slow down and in some instances come to a halt. Employees will need to be able to communicate verbally at a basic level, with on-going training to develop their language skills. It may be necessary in this instance to hire an interpreter or hire locals to do the job. The regulations of the country may also form another inhibitor. Each country comes with its own laws and regulations that apply to all businesses. A highly skilled and experienced specialist with experience in global integration would be the ideal choice. Such a person would help the company not only resolve and regulatory problems but also iron out problems where language and culture are concerned. Conclusion As businesses and governments move forward they will need to think deeply about the opportunities and risks that are presented by changing trends and the forces behind them. The mindset of organizations needs to undergo a transformation so that it can re-imagine what is possible, discover what they can do that is new and how to do it. With a different mindset, they can re-imagine what is possible, discovering what they can do that is new, and how best to do it. The dynamics of the global market is changing. Emerging markets are coming out strong and as they rise so do their companies. Many companies that had previously posed no competitive threat to multinational corporations now do so.These emerging market leaders represent a major shift in the global competitive landscape a trend that will only strengthen as they grow in size, establish dominance and seek new opportunities beyond their traditional domestic and near-shore markets.Those that succeed may find themselves not just navi gating tomorrows global trends, but actually shaping them.

Scarletletter Symbolism :: essays research papers

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many things for symbolism and in my opinion the most symbolic were the scaffold scenes. There are a total of three scaffold scenes and each has its own purpose and meaning. Without the scaffold scenes this book would basically leave you clueless to what was really going on because the scaffold scenes really tell you what is going on and why.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first scaffold scene is basically an introduction to the whole book. You learn who all the main charters are and most of all Hester and her terrible crime she committed. This is the first time everyone sees Hester with the letter “A'; on her bosom. Hester is a very brave woman for standing up on that scaffold in front of everyone in the town to gawk at and for admitting that she had committed adultery. Also, it takes a very courageous person to stick up for what they believe in like she did by not telling who she had committed the crime with. The whole story builds you up to this point of finding out who Hester committed adultery with. By this point in the story you have some clue who the father of Pearl is but until you get to the second scaffold scene you don’t know for sure. At the second scaffold scene Dimesdale is on the scaffold and Hester and Pearl come up and join him. Dimesdale is wearing down by the burden of his sin he committed. He goes to the scaffold to confess to God and ask for some kind of forgiveness. Then a cloud forms the letter “A'; in the sky and everyone thinks this stands for angel because that’s how they view Dimesdale. Then when Dimesdale goes to leave he leaves his glove on the scaffold to symbolize he was there and that he should have been up there with Hester and his daughter in the first place. Then when you think everything is going to turn out okay and nothing bad is going to happen to Hester and Pearl, Dimesdale goes up on the scaffold. This worries Hester like it would anyone in her position. So Hester and Pearl join him again on the scaffold. Hester is wearing the Scarlet Letter like always and then Dimesdale shows his letter “A'; that he inscribed over his heart.

Human Nature Exposed in Chaim Potoks The Chosen :: Potok Chosen Essays

Human Nature Exposed in The Chosen      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A bad thing is only truly bad if you fail to make good of it.   The Chosen by Chaim Potok is a testimant to the human ability to learn, grow and prosper from adversity.   The story is filled with examples of situations in which something that may seem bad at the time, later reaps great rewards.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the initial portion of The Chosen one of the main characters, Reuven Malter, is struck in the eye by a baseball hit by the other main character, Danny Saunders.   Surgery is needed on Reuven's eye, and the future use of his eye is in doubt.   To most this might appear a bad situation, a terrible thing to happen to a boy, but Reuven and Danny are brought together by this unfortunate incident and develop a strong and rewarding friendship.   This friendship of course has its ups and downs, but overall proves to be an invaluable learning experience to both young men.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Danny is forced to endure an awkward and possibly cruel situation for the majority of his formative years.   Danny's father never speaks with him. With the exception of Talmud discussions and Danny's baseball team idea, Danny and his father never speak.   This situation causes Danny a great deal of emotional pain, a pain which he is unable to comprehend his father's reasons for inflicting.   His father feared, and with reason, that if something were not done, Danny would never find his soul.   After many years, Danny finally understands, and accepts the reasons for his father's silence, and is in many ways grateful for its success.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   History is rich with individual, and broad examples of Potok's look into human nature.   During the Second World War, America suffered approximately four hundred thousand casualties, yet reached a state of national unity that has not been achieved before or after.   The war also ended the Great Depression that caused so many people, son many problems.   The atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki reaped considerable death and destruction, yet prevented far more.   Even as far back as biblical times, the

The Minister’s Black Veil Essays -- Minister?s Black Veil Essays Paper

The Minister’s Black Veil The story â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† is symbolic of the hidden sins that we hide and separate ourselves from the ones we love most. In wearing the veil Hooper presents the isolation that everybody experiences when they are chained down by their own sins. He has realized that everybody symbolically can be found in the shadow of their own veil. By Hooper wearing this shroud across his face is only showing the dark side of people and the truth of human existence and nature. Hooper left the dark shroud on because he has realized that secret sin is a veil that can never be lifted from anybody until the day of their death. In a quote from the story Mr. Hooper says, â€Å"There is an hour to come, when all of us shall cast aside our veils. Take it not amiss, beloved friend, if I wear this piece of crepe till then.† By saying this Mr. Hooper expresses the feeling that while human beings are alive on the earth a veil shows their face. Hooper promised himself and made a life task of playing a mirror to the people around him. The veil cannot be lifted until the freedom of truth can be observed. The minister’s friends and neighbors are so upset by the veil because the veil becomes a wall between himself and his congregation. The first response is one of curiosity which then turns in suspicion. They cannot understand the meaning for the wearing of the black veil and in turn the people become very uncomfortable around him. The veil and it color ...

Issues of Product Costing Essay

The topic states that is product costing important for virtual organisations that are outsourcing their production operations. Virtual organisations are those corporation that operate in the world of e-business or e-commerce. A virtual organisation can be defined as â€Å"Composed of several business partners sharing costs and resources for the purpose of producing a product or service†¦ can be temporary†¦ or it can be permanent. Each partner contributes complementary resources that reflect its strengths, and determines its role in the virtual corporation† Turban, E. , McLean, E. and Wetherbe J. (1999) Information Technology for Management. 2nd Ed. The key characteristic of the virtual organisations is it ability to change in a rapid and adaptable response to changing markets whether these arise as a result of globalisation, changing cost structures, changing customer needs and wants, or other similar reasons. The needs and requirements of virtual organisations require that each employee have the skills to contribute directly to the value chain of product and service design, production, marketing and distribution, thus contributing directly to the â€Å"bottom line†. Virtual Organisations are at simplicity with the initiative of porous and changing organisational limitations, changing their skills and skill levels through outsourcing and alliances. It is an organisation that has a low cost, high response, effective in utilisation of resources, empowerment of staff, low level of bureaucracy and high combination of Information Technology to support business processes and knowledge workers. Some examples of cyberspace organisation are Amazon. om and Ebay. com that operate its business activity through the Internet. Outsourcing is the process of purchasing goods and services from outside vendors rather than producing the same goods or providing the same services within the organisation. The single most important strategic reason for outsourcing is to reduce or control operating costs. In an Outsourcing Institute survey, companies reported an average 9% reduction.

Elsewhere: Life and Curtis Jest

The novel Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin is spectacular. Throughout the book there are many characters that diserve to be mentioned. Elizabeth Marie Hall, also know as Liz or Lizzie is the main character. Owen Welles is her boyfriend. Thandi is her best friend that she meets on the boat. Aldous Ghent is her mentor and friend. Betty is Liz's grandmother. Emily Welles is Owen's â€Å"wife†. Alvy is Liz's brother. Curtis Jest is the rock star she met on the boat. Lucy is Liz's pug, Jen is Owen's dog and Sadie is Liz's dog. Amadou Bonamy is the man who hit Liz, and Zooey, Liz's best friend on Earth. Liz is fifteen, looking forward to turning sixteen and getting her driver's license, when everything changes. She's riding her bike, only three months from driving a car instead of using her bike as her main mode of transportation, when she is hit by a car. She wakes up on a ship, sharing a room with a girl named Thandi who has what looks like a bullethole in the back of her head. Liz doesn't look like she normally does, either; she doesn't have any hair. In this â€Å"dream,† as she thinks it is, things are a little weird. There are no modern electronic devices on the ship, and everyone with the exceptions of herself, Thandi, and Liz's favorite singer, Curtis Jest, is over 80. After watching her own funeral (used by her high school principal as an opportunity to lecture on traffic safety), Liz realizes that this is no dream. Nor is it exactly her â€Å"life. † Liz is dead. She was killed in a car crash, and, in the world skillfully created by Gabrielle Zevin, this is where people go once they die. On a ship. Of course, boats have to go somewhere, and this one finally lands in Elsewhere. The afterlife, though not as anyone on earth imagined it. In Elsewhere, for one thing, people age backwards. Liz will never turn sixteen (but they'll still let her get a driver's license); instead, she'll be turning fourteen again, under the care of her dead grandmother, who is surprisingly young (about the same age as Liz's mother). Elsewhere, though the people grow younger rather than older, is a lot like earth. Some artists continue their work here (you can see new paintings by Picasso! ), just as they did on earth. Marilyn Monroe is a psychiatrist. Everything you can find on Earth–music, books, artwork–you can find Elsewhere. Elsewhere, Liz thinks, â€Å"could have been a walk to the next town or an hour's ride in the car or an overnight plane trip. † It shouldn't be too hard adjusting to this†¦ right? Betty helps her to resolve these feelings by convincing her to take a new job as a counsellor in the division of domestic animals, at which point Lizzie begins to slowly leave her routine of watching her family and instead is given a new motivation to her new life. However, Lizzie is still plagued by the anger she feels towards the driver responsible for her death, â€Å"he is a murderer, he is my murderer. Here Zevin uses repetition to emphasize this anger. Lizzie becomes strongly determined to make him pay for what he has done, and she manages to find a restricted portal known as â€Å"The Well,† to contact her family and tell them who it was that were responsible for her death. how far are you? it depends on what you mean by ending†¦ sorry if this is a spoiler to others! but yeah the book pretty much ends how you'd expect, liz and owen grow younger together, forget to read, lose teeth, and live a very happy childhood together. it ends with liz being shipped back across the ocean as a baby, and her rebirth. wen is cared for by his ex when he's a baby, and betty and curtis are happy together. the end. Well, it's been a while, but, basically, she decides that she can't adjust to life on Elsewhere so she wants to go back to Earth with that one year plan(I can't remember what they called the plan). Once they release her she decides at the last minute that she doesn't want to g o back to Earth, that she'll miss all of her friends from Elsewhere. She wiggles free of the wrappings and then gets lost for a couple of days at the bottom of the ocean. Owen refuses to give up on looking for her and he finds her eventually and they live happily ever after†¦ haha!! I think that's what happens, but I'm not for sure!! Like I said, it's been a while. In the beginning of the novel, a dog is telling us that her owner, Liz, has died. I think the dog explains that the girl was on her bike and was killed by a hit-and-run taxi driver, but we may get that information later. She goes down the river to be sent back to earth after she is done aging backwards. The guy that she was seeing was like 2. Anyway, the story shifts to the dead girl, Liz, who wakes up on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. She does not have hair and does not really know how she got there. She finds another girl, Thandi, who claims she was shot in the head before waking up on the ship. Liz also recognizes and befriends a man named Curtis, who was a famous musician. Most of the others on the ship are old people, and all of them are in pajamas all of the time. That's all Liz knows until later, when Thandi and Curtis tell her they're all dead. Liz refuses to accept this for a long time, even though she watches her own funeral through binoculars on the ship. Anyway, the ship docks in a place called Elsewhere. Liz finds that there is no God, but her grandmother, whom she'd never met, comes to meet her. Liz goes to live with her, and she learns that in Elsewhere, people age backwards until they become babies again, at which point they're reborn. For a long time, Liz spends all of her time watching her loved ones back on earth. She tries to contact them, at one point diving to the bottom of the ocean to use some sort of underwater well to speak with her brother. The officer in charge of catching people who do that saves her (not her life, as she can't die, but saves her all the same) and eventually helps her contact her brother. Through the brother, she is able to tell her father about the birthday gift she'd hidden under the floorboards. This is enough to give her peace, and she's able to adjust. She and the officer, Owen, basically fall in love. Liz also goes to work helping pets who have died learn to adjust (she can speak to them), while Thandi takes a job as an announcer. There are more snags: Owen's wife dies and creates a brief love triangle, though Owen eventually chooses Liz, as he died young and he no longer has much in common with his wife. Anyway, Curtis ends up marrying Liz's grandmother, Liz becomes happy. She becomes the director of her department, is happy to welcome her dog when she finally dies, and even forgives the man who'd killed her when he arrives in Elsewhere years later. She also spends a good decade or more with Owen before the both of them become too young and have to get ready to be reborn. The book ends on a sad note–Liz' grandmother (who was older when she died and thus has longer to spend in Elsewhere), has been caring for baby Liz and gets her ready for rebirth. The group goes to the shore (they put the babies in the ocean, and the current carries them to earth), Owen not really caring until the end, after Liz is gone and he has a brief flash of memory of what she meant to him. He starts crying but quickly forgets again (he's only two at this point and is being cared for by his wife). The novel ends with Liz being born to another mother and feeling eager to start another life. very one else on the boat was over 80 EXCEPT Curtis Jest, Thandi, and Liz! CONFLICT/PROBLEM The conflict or problem encountered would be that, first of all, she is dead. Second of all she can't get over the fact that she hates that she is in Elsewhere. The third problem is that she is aging backwards everyday. Back to the day she was born. SETTING: The setting or place this book took pl ace is first on a cruise ship. That's where she woke up. Then the cruise ship takes her to elsewhere and that is where the biggest part of the book takes place. THEMES: I think there are a couple themes of this book. The first one is that eventually you have to accept who you are or where you are. It gets harder and more miserable if you don't. Lizzie had trouble coming to terms with things. She hated elsewhere but she finally accepted the fact she was dead. Number two would be that things can be bad but in the end everything will be alright. Lizzie didn't like that she ended up in elsewhere but realized that being happy is the best thing that she could do for herself. The third theme for me would be forgiveness. Liz hates the cab driver for killing her but notices that her hate for him won't make things better for anyone. Forgiveness is very important in life. Elsewhere tells the story of a fifteen year old girl, Elizabeth ‘Liz' Hall, who dies in a bicycle accident and wakes up to find herself traveling on a boat called the SS Nile. There, she meets a girl who had been shot and a famous person who had died of a drug overdose. After watching her own funeral, Liz realizes that she is truly dead. Soon afterwards, she and the other passengers arrive in what is known as â€Å"Elsewhere†. She meets her grandmother, who had died before Liz was born, and Liz begins to live with her. In Elsewhere, Liz learns, everyone ages backwards from the day they died to the day they turn zero, and then they are sent back to Earth to be reincarnated as a baby. Liz misses her life on Earth, and becomes obsessed with watching her family and friends through Observation Decks, she tried to talk to her family a few times, which she gets caught and meets Owen. She is depressed, and sees no reason to do anything since she is dead, but in time she makes new friends in Elsewhere who help her come to terms with the fact that she has died. She can talk in canine, which she at first was unaware of. Gradually, she learns that a life lived backwards is not much different to a life lived forwards. Elsewhere is an original, interesting view of things that is somewhere between the heaven and hell spoken of by most religions; as has been said, this afterlife is a lot like an extension of life on earth, only backwards. It seems like a nice place, a happy place to be–except for what it takes for people to get there.