Downtown

Downtown PDF

Author: Robert M. Fogelson

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2001-10-01

Total Pages: 811

ISBN-13: 0300133405

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Winner of a Lewis Mumford Prize: “Extremely engaging reading for those interested in the history of cities and urban experience.” —Booklist Written by one of this country’s foremost urban historians, Downtown is the first history of what was once viewed as the heart of the American city. It tells the fascinating story of how downtown—and the way Americans thought about downtown—changed over time. By showing how businessmen and property owners worked to promote the well-being of downtown, even at the expense of other parts of the city, it also gives a riveting account of spatial politics in urban America. Drawing on a wide array of contemporary sources, Robert M. Fogelson brings downtown to life, first as the business district, then as the central business district, and finally as just another business district. His book vividly recreates the long-forgotten battles over subways and skyscrapers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. And it provides a fresh, often startling perspective on elevated highways, parking bans, urban redevelopment, and other controversial issues. This groundbreaking book will be a revelation to scholars, city planners, policymakers, and anyone interested in American cities and American history. “A thorough and accomplished history.” —The Washington Post Book World "Superlative . . . a vital contribution to the study of American life.” —Publishers Weekly “A superbly thorough analysis of the causes of inner-city blight, congestion, and economic decline in mid-20th century urban America.” —Library Journal Includes photographs

The Politics of Downtown Development

The Politics of Downtown Development PDF

Author: Stephen J. McGovern

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

Published: 2014-10-17

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 0813156823

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American cities experienced an extraordinary surge in downtown development during the 1970s and 1980s. Pro-growth advocates in urban government and the business community believed that the construction of office buildings, hotels, convention centers, and sports complexes would generate jobs and tax revenue while revitalizing stagnant local economies. But neighborhood groups soon became disgruntled with the unanticipated costs and unfulfilled promises of rapid expansion, and grassroots opposition erupted in cities throughout the United States. Through an insightful comparison of effective protest in San Francisco and ineffective protest in Washington, D.C., Stephen McGovern examines how citizens -- even those lacking financial resources -- have sought to control their own urban environments. McGovern interviews nearly one hundred business activists, government officials, and business leaders, exploring the influence of political culture and individual citizens' perceptions of a particular development issue. McGovern offers a compelling explanation of why some battles against city hall succeed while so many others fail.

Urban Design Downtown

Urban Design Downtown PDF

Author: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 1998-10-19

Total Pages: 382

ISBN-13: 0520209303

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This book's case studies of individual West Coast downtown projects capture the essence of late 20th-century urbanism with its multitude of social dilemmas and contradictions. The authors explore both the poetics of design and the politics and economics of development decisions. 98 photos. 26 line illustrations. 23 maps.

Building Downtown Los Angeles

Building Downtown Los Angeles PDF

Author: Leland T. Saito

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 2022-07-26

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 1503632539

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From the 1970s on, Los Angeles was transformed into a center for entertainment, consumption, and commerce for the affluent. Mirroring the urban development trend across the nation, new construction led to the displacement of low-income and working-class racial minorities, as city officials targeted these neighborhoods for demolition in order to spur economic growth and bring in affluent residents. Responding to the displacement, there emerged a coalition of unions, community organizers, and faith-based groups advocating for policy change. In Building Downtown Los Angeles Leland Saito traces these two parallel trends through specific construction projects and the backlash they provoked. He uses these events to theorize the past and present processes of racial formation and the racialization of place, drawing new insights on the relationships between race, place, and policy. Saito brings to bear the importance of historical events on contemporary processes of gentrification and integrates the fluidity of racial categories into his analysis. He explores these forces in action, as buyers and entrepreneurs meet in the real estate marketplace, carrying with them a fraught history of exclusion and vast disparities in wealth among racial groups.

Making Business Districts Work

Making Business Districts Work PDF

Author: Marvin Feit

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-01-11

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13: 1136773290

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Unprecedented, broad coverage of downtown and community development topics from a practitioner’s viewpoint! Making Business Districts Work: Leadership and Management of Downtown, Main Street, Business District, and Community Development Organizations is the essential desk reference for downtown and community business district professionals and board members. It’s also a complete survey of all the skills and information students will need as they emerge from school and begin work in this challenging profession. The book covers nearly all aspects of leading and managing downtown and community development organizations, from planning and implementing programs and policies, to evaluating successes and failures. Charts, tables, photographs, chapter analyses, and Web resources make this vital text even more essential. An unprecedented diversity of perspectives makes this book unique, with contributions from the United States, Canada, and Portugal, and from small, medium, and large cities. Case studies provide a sharp focus on events that have something to teach every student and professional in the field. These include a look at how Lower Manhattan dealt with the crisis during and after September 11, 2001, how Los Angeles deals with an overwhelming homelessness crisis, and the 20-year planning and development of a major revitalization project in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In addition, Making Business Districts Work covers: downtown/business district management—an essential state-of-the-art overview plus examinations of developing leadership roles, vision-driven organizations, and the leadership versus management debate organization—structures, governance, human resources, staffing structure, finance, and fundraising operations—strategic planning, diversity, and advocacy marketing and communicating—with downtown, shopping, and electronic applications management of a downtown district—safety and cleanliness, urban design, hospitality, transportation, parking, social atmosphere, and hiring consultants development secrets for downtown districts—economic and residential development, attracting the right retailers and a solid retail base, regional attractions, and political considerations international perspectives from Canada and Portugal a look at how the field has evolved—and where it is likely to go in the near future Making Business Districts Work presents step-by-step instructions for performing a host of essential tasks in the business district revitalization field, but more than that, it clearly shows how America’s most experienced and successful downtown executives handle these responsibilities. Whether you are involved in practice or academia in urban planning, public administration, social work, architecture, international studies, public policy, political science, or business administration, Making Business Districts Work provides tools, skills, and insights to help you—or your students—succeed.

Recast Your City

Recast Your City PDF

Author: Ilana Preuss

Publisher: Island Press

Published: 2021-06-22

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 1642831921

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Community development expert Ilana Preuss explains how local leaders can revitalize their downtowns or neighborhood main streets by bringing in and supporting small-scale manufacturing. Small-scale manufacturing businesses help create thriving places, with local business ownership opportunities and well-paying jobs that other business types can't fulfill.

Downtown Planning for Smaller and Midsized Communities

Downtown Planning for Smaller and Midsized Communities PDF

Author: Philip Walker

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-11-08

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1351177958

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"For so long we were floundering and taking ad hoc measures, but the minute I understood what a downtown plan really was I said 'We need one of those!' As it turned out, it was the most fantastic vehicle I've ever seen," said Susan Moffat-Thomas of New Bern, North Carolina. Her hometown got a much-needed shot in the arm from a good downtown plan. Does yours need a similar boost? The Author, an experienced downtown-planning consultant, offers practical tips for preserving a sense of place, improving fiscal efficiency, and enhancing quality of life in Downtown Planning for Smaller and Midsized Communities. Planners and revitalization officials will learn how to address physical components of the downtown, as well as economic development. The Author, an experienced downtown-planning consultant, also explains how to develop an organization to implement a downtown plan; how federal, state, and local policies may influence the planning process; and how to fund a downtown revitalization effort.