In 1998, Myron Orfield introduced a revolutionary program for
combating the seemingly inevitable decline of America's
metropolitan communities. Through a combination of demographic
research, state-of-the-art mapping, and resourceful, pragmatic
politics, his groundbreaking book, Metropolitics, revealed how the
different regions of St. Paul and Minneapolis pulled together to
create a regional government powerful enough to tackle the
community's problems of sprawl and urban decay. Orfield's new work,
American Metropolitics , applies the next generation of
cutting-edge research on a much broader scale. The book provides an
eye-opening analysis of the economic, racial, environmental, and
political trends of the 25 largest metropolitan regions in the
United States -which contain more than 45 percent of the U.S.
population. Using detailed maps and case studies, Orfield
demonstrates that growing social separation and wasteful sprawling
development patterns are harming regional citizens wherever they
live. The first section of the book, ""Metropatterns,"" illustrates
a common pattern of growing social separation and wasteful
sprawling development throughout the country -a condition that
limits opportunity for the poor (particularly people of color),
diminishes the quality of life for most Americans, and threatens
our fragile environment. It also shows how these patterns reveal
the existence of three types of suburban communities -those at risk
of social and economic decline, those struggling to pay for rapid
growth, and a very small number of places that enjoy the benefits
of economic growth with few social costs. Ironically, this last
group is often the center of the movement against sprawl.
""Metropolicy,"" the second section, analyzes past policies and
programs that have attempted -and failed -to address the challenges
of concentrated poverty, sprawl, and inequitable distribution of
resources. Orfield lays out a comprehensive regional agenda to
address these problems, with solutions for land use planning from a
regional perspective, greater fiscal equity among local governments
(with an emphasis on reinvestment in the central cities and older
suburbs), and improved governance at the regional level that will
help facilitate the development of policies to benefit all types of
metropolitan communities. The third section, ""Metropolitics,""
discusses examples of political strategies that have led to
successful programs on land use planning, tax equity, and regional
governance. Using detailed analysis of 1990's election data it
identifies and maps the nation's swing political jurisdictions
which are overwhelmingly in at-risk and growth-stressed suburbs.
Finally, the book draws a new and incisive picture of the political
structure of U.S. metropolitan regions, and lays out a series of
strategies for moving regional reform efforts forward. With
detailed maps of conditions in each metropolitan region,
comprehensive data on existing conditions and voter attitudes, and
bold, innovative strategies for change, Am erican Metropolitics i s
an important book for anyone concerned with the future of our
cities and suburbs.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
