City-building In America (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This thoughtful study examines why certain urban areas grow and continue to be healthy while others decline in population and job opportunities. Using the cities of Milwaukee, Cleveland, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Austin as examples, Orum (sociology, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago) explores the political and economic factors that can lead to a city's decline as well as to its rebirth and health. These factors range from the continued ability to annex land to the importance of enlightened and aggressive political leadership. Most telling is the comparative analysis of Milwaukee and Austin, the former a declining industrial city, the latter a city experiencing tremendous growth. Orum provides important lessons for politicians, planners, and business leaders. Highly recommended.?H. Ward Jandl, National Park Svc., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Why do some cities expand, while others decline? Why is Milwaukee a town of the past, while Minneapolis-St. Paul seems reborn, infused with future dynamism? What do these cities, as well as Cleveland and Austin, have to tell us about other cities' prospects? Interspersing social theory, historical ethnography, and comparative analysis, Orum tells the story of these cities and, at the same time, of all cities. He traces the shift in the sources of urban growth from entrepreneurs to institutions, highlighting the emergence of local government as a prominent force in shaping the complex trajectory of the urban industrial heartland. Lucidly portrayed are the factory openings, labor strikes, elections, evictions, urban blight, white flight, recession, and rejuvenation that shape American cities. With a rich variety of sources including newspapers, diaries, census material, maps, photo essays, and original oral histories, this book is ideal for students of urban and industrial sociology, urban politics, social change, and social mobility.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 261 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press; 1st THUS edition (March 29, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813308437
• ISBN-13: 978-0813308432
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,585,356 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)