Downtown, Inc.: How America Rebuilds Cities ANNOTATION
A study of the inner workings of the new public-private partnerships that have revitalized U.S. urban centers featuring four big-city malls.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Pioneering observers of the urban landscape Bernard Friedenand Lynne Sagalyn delve into the inner workings of the exciting new public entrepreneurship and public-private partnerships that have revitalized the downtowns of such cities as Boston, San Diego, Seattle, St. Paul, and Pasadena.
SYNOPSIS
delve into the inner workings of the exciting new public entrepreneurship and public-private partnerships that have revitalized the downtowns of such cities as Boston, San Diego, Seattle, St. Paul, and Pasadena
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
The authors, professors of urban studies at MIT, present a brief for inner-city revitalization projects such as Boston's Faneuil Hall marketplace, the Horton Place complex in San Diego and retail centers in Seattle and St. Paul. Critics have branded such projects artificial enclaves that turn city residents into tourists and favor corporate interests at the expense of the citizenry. The authors strongly disagree, arguing that downtown retail developments create jobs, promote economic development and reassert middle-class control over crumbling areas. They further contend that, given federal funding cutbacks, cities have no other pragmatic course than to make deals with coalitions of real estate developers and business interests. A book for specialists, the study is full of details on the financing and politics that undergird downtown rebuilding schemes. Photos. (Dec.)
Library Journal
Urban retail malls such as Quincy Market in Boston and Baltimore's Harborplace have garnered both applause and criticism. This book examines, from a variety of angles, the phenomenon of new retail construction in cities. Begun as a series of case studies for university class use, this book also explores how city officials worked with developers to bring mall-style retail centers downtown. In doing so, politics and business were brought together in new, productive ways: ``The new methods for managing downtown development were almost as much of an achievement as the rebuilding itself.'' The bibliographic essay is a gold mine of resources on topics from shopping centers to city development politics. For large public and academic libraries.-- Diane K. Harvey, Johns Hopkins Univ. Lib., Washington, D.C.
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