New Life at Ground Zero: New York, Home Ownership, and the Future of American Cities [Hardcover]

Charles J. Orlebeke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1997

In New Life at Ground Zero, Charles J. Orlebeke traces New York City's dramatic comeback in the 80s and 90s, focusing on one organization, the New York City Housing Partnership, which would help spark the recovery by building thousands of new homes for the ownership market in scores of bombed-out neighborhoods in the South Bronx and throughout the city.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Rockefeller Institute Press Publication, photographs

From the Back Cover

Not long ago, the South Bronx and other devastated New York City neighborhoods had become legendary as the worst urban war zones, so infamous that busloads of foreign tourists would ask to be taken there to snap pictures of the rubble. What's more, the city's treasury was empty, and the federal government under Ronald reagan was pulling back from its commitment to confront the nation's "urban crisis." In New Life at Ground Zero, Charles J. Orlebeke traces New York City's dramatic comeback in the 80s and 90s, focusing on one organization, the New york City Housing Partnership, which would help spark the recovery by building thousands of new homes for the ownership market in scores of bombed-out neighborhoods in the South Bronx and throughout the city. "Charles Orlebeke has written a fascinating history of an extraordinarily important New York institution - the New York City Housing Partnership. Together with local housing officials, financial institutions, and neighborhood organizations, the Partnership has succeeded beyond all expectations in rebuilding communities in areas of the City that used to be national symbols of urban despair and desolation. As unlikely as it sounds, the book is a page-turner. Within the book's covers Orlebeke has masterfully captured the tremendous passions that were harnessed to transform vacant land into thriving communities." (Michael H. Schill Director and Professor of Law and Urban Policy New York University School of Law)

"In this sensitively written and richly documented history of the origins and accomplishments of the New York City Housing Partnership, Charles Orlebeke speaks to the resilience and future possibilities of cities, while making a compelling case for a more homeownership-driven national urban policy." (Michael A. Stegman Duncan MacRae '09 and Rebecca Kyle MacRae Professor of Public Policy University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Formerly Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, HUD)

"This book offers important insight into how federal devolution will work out and how politicians, community groups, and business leaders learn to trust each other and leverage each other's resources to rescue the American city." (Philip L. Clay, Department of Urban Studies and Planning MIT)

"Orlebeke's narrative deftly weaves together the high-level political maneuvering with the hope and faith of residents looking for better homes to raise their families. In his final chapter, Orlebeke sets forth a refreshing paradigm for urban policy, based upon community development and the power of public/private partnerships, truly the best platform on which to build this country's urban revitalization." (Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO Local Initiatives Support)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: Nelson a Rockefeller Inst; 1st edition (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0914341529
• ISBN-13: 978-0914341529
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,180,401 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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