Business Elites and Urban Development
Case Studies and Critical Perspectives
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Description
Written in a non-technical, narrative style, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone concerned with current trends in urban development. During the Reagan era, responsibility for urban planning and development was transferred from government to private business. This private sector hegemony over urban development differs markedly from the liberal policy initiatives of the 1960s and 1970s. Through a series of case studies, this book examines these shifting trends and shows that private sector efforts to revitalize America's central cities have not been uniformly successful. The contributors, who are among America's leading social scientists, utilize neo-Marxist urban theory to explain the conditions under which private initiative enhances or erodes downtown redevelopment.
Scott Cummings is Professor and Associate Dean of Urban Affairs at the University of Louisville.
Reviews
"The book is useful both as a reference on a variety of development issues and as a source of arresting case studies of the development experience. It shows how and why investment decisions driven by the private market lead neither to economic security nor to a high quality of urban life. " — Clarence N. Stone, University of Maryland
"It provides concrete examples of the 'real world' manifestations of some of the key forces which the new political economy says shape urban development. " — Richard Rich, Virginia Tech
"This kind of fresh material is scarce. I like the myriad aspects of public and private sector influence: arts, sports, government subsidies and regulation, and so on. These perspectives are diverse, yet cohesive in their mutuality. " — Dennis E. Gale, George Washington University