A New Deal for New York [Hardcover]

Mike Wallace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2002

Written with the same verve and gusto that helped win the 1999 Pulitzer Prize in History for his and Edwin G. Burrows's "Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898", "A New Deal for New York" is a stirring call-to-arms from the distinguished historian Mike Wallace. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, Wallace argues that we not just rebuild and memorialize the Trade Center site, but rethink and plan more broadly for the entire city's future. He tells the fascinating and largely unknown history of the financial center, revealing a wide variety of myths and obfuscations about the city's growth and success in recent years. He speaks candidly and convincingly about various options for rebuilding downtown, and he summarizes a wide variety of ambitious but viable projects to improve all of New York by launching what he calls the new New Deal – a multi-pronged plan that, mindful of both the grand successes and dismal disappointments of the original New Deal, would feature such longed-for improvements as a revitalized port, improved mass transit, and more affordable housing. In short, he argues, September 11 has provided us an opening, as a city, to make our own course corrections on the river of history – if we have the desire and can summon the will. It won't be the end of an era unless we decide to make it one. Happily, there are substantial grounds for believing that, under the press of hard blows and hard times, our audacious metropolis will again lead the nation in recalling our history, reimagining our future, and seizing hold of our collective destiny.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The co-author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 here uses his extensive knowledge of the city to guide a new vision of New York after September 11. Wallace was in the public library preparing a follow-up book to Gotham when the city was attacked. After following the many different proposals for renewal, Wallace decided to lay them against lessons from history. His premise is that New York digests crisis to make itself stronger and has done so repeatedly over its 400-year history. In this essay-like monograph, published in conjunction with the Gotham Center for New York City History, Wallace sees a revitalized port, improved mass transit and more affordable housing as essential goals, and points out that previous accomplishments of urban planning were on a much grander scale than will be necessary to rebuild downtown: the 1930s New Deal, for example, was responsible for building innumerable health clinics, libraries, educational facilities, homeless shelters, courthouses, firehouses, police stations, LaGuardia Airport, the FDR Drive and the Holland and Lincoln tunnels. Because the present budget crisis is no worse than the depression, Wallace sees no reason why renewal in this century should not be as progressive as it was in the last, since New York history has always shown that "the opposite side of disaster is opportunity."
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A New Deal for New York is a glorious, effor-rich, imaginitive, sensible, and necessary." -- James K. Galbraith, Lloyd M. Benstein Jr. Chair in Government/Business Relations at the University of Texas at Austin.

"A fantastic ride! A New Deal for New York is inspiring, thought-provoking and a joy to read." -- Thomas Kessner, author of Fiorello Laguardia and the Making of Modern New York

"A new Deal for New York is a lively, acute, and packed with usable information." -- Arthus Schlesinger

"Sheer Eloquence. Deftly and succinctly, (Wallace) identifues lower Manhattan's reconstruction as an historic opportunity to transform the city's development strategy." -- City Limits, November 2002

"The most cogent set of recommendations advanced in the past year of intense debate over the fate of Ground Zero." -- The New Republic

"Wallace sees no reason why renewal in this century should not be as progressive as it was in the last." -- Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 115 pages
• Publisher: Bell & Weiland Pub Co; 1 edition (September 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972315519
• ISBN-13: 978-0972315517
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,725,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real step toward rebuilding, August 12, 2003

By 

Rocco Dormarunno (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A New Deal for New York (Hardcover)

To rebuild New York City after the effects of 9/11/01 and the slugged (not sluggish, but really slugged) economy, we need the advice of someone who knows both the history and dynamics of New York City inside out. Mr. Mike Wallace is one of the few people who knows both and he has published a small book which should go a long way to save NYC from any more damage, and help it get back to the prestigious position it deserves. Mr. Wallace argues the case that the Federal Government must intervene on NY's behalf on a scale as great as FDR's WPA program. While such Federal intervention is hated by Wall Street and rural America alike, the book reasons that no other institution has the resources AND THE OBLIGATION to help America's greatest city. I am oversimplifying terribly the argument that Mr. Wallace puts forth, and there are a couple of arguments which seem to be a little too candy-coated. Still, I urge everyone to please pick up this book and decide for yourself. My only hope is that the people who can lead this charge (Mayor Bloomberg, Gov. Patkai, Senators Schumer and Clinton, President Bush) will be brave enough to do so. This is the time for courage.