Changing Places: Rebuilding Community in the Age of Sprawl

Moe, Richard, Wilkie, Carter

ISBN 10: 0805043683 / ISBN 13: 9780805043686

Published by Henry Holt & Co, 1997

Very Good condition. Very Good dust jacket. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp. Seller Inventory # G07A-02324

Synopsis:

A detailed look into the historic communities that are fighting against urban development also examines the New England towns and areas in the Midwest that are battling against large conglomerates such as Wal-Mart. 12,500 first printing.

Reviews: An eloquent, convincing argument for the preservation of city centers in a time of ex- and suburbanization. Moe (The Last Full Measure, 1993) is a Civil War historian and president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Wilkie is a former White House speechwriter. Their talents mesh well in this survey/sermon, which warns of the dangers of ``losing the physical manifestations of our history--not just the great monuments but also the significant structures and entire neighborhoods that anchor our communities.'' That loss has many causes, among them white flight and the relocation of downtown businesses to far-flung peripheries. When this happens, assert the authors, and when city residents' income drops with the evaporation of economic enterprise, the result is inevitably ``a perpetual slum.'' Such latter-day slums have been a long time in the building, but the authors lay particular blame on the legendary urban planner and superhighway builder Robert Moses, who ``became the nation's most consulted expert on how to tear historic sections of cities apart to accommodate the automobile.'' The perspective of Moe and Wilkie is resolutely urban and East Coast, but in advancing their call for an intelligent, admittedly expensive nationwide program of inner-city restoration, they also look westward to Denver and Portland, Ore., where, despite some Moses-era setbacks, downtowns have grown newly friendly to pedestrians and respectful of history. The authors also sound alarms over the likely fate of eastern cities like Pittsburgh, which, despite a massive commitment to downtown revitalization, has lost jobs and businesses and faces an ever-aging population as younger residents move to suburban sanctuaries. A thoughtful book that merits both a wide audience and a place alongside the work of Jane Jacobs and Lewis Mumford. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Changing Places: Rebuilding Community in the...
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
Publication Date: 1997
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included