Review "Once again, the noted urban scholar and former Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico, David Rusk, has written a diagnostic book on the disparities in the relationships between cities and their suburban counterparts... Baltimore Unbound should be required reading for all state and local officials and essential reading for representatives of the civic community." (Shirley R. Byron Journal of the American Planning Association)"When David Rusk speaks, people listen. He is the hottest urban expert in the nation today." (Theo Lippman, Jr. Baltimore Sun) Read more From the Back Cover In his highly acclaimed book, Cities Without Suburbs, former Albuquerque mayor David Rusk explained why regions with wealthy suburbs surrounding a poor central city face continuing economic hardship. Now, in Baltimore Unbound, he applies his ideas in an illuminating study of Baltimore's continuing economic stagnation, offering a frank assessment of its causes and possible solutions. As in many older mid-sized cities, Rusk finds, the issues of poverty and racial segregation lie at the heart of Baltimore's economic and social problems. The region's future, he argues, depends on successful efforts to alleviate the concentration of poor African-American households in the central city. Baltimore Unbound proposes a "fair share" housing development program to make housing in all parts of Baltimore and the six surrounding counties available to residents of the city who wish to relocate. The ultimate goal is a region of economically, ethnically, racially diverse - as well as stable - neighborhoods. Placing the study in the context of national urban issues, Rusk reviews similar problems and remedial efforts in other cities. But he sees particular hope for change in Baltimore, where a tradition of public and private partnership in innovative revitalization efforts is a continuing source of local pride as well as national attention. Like projects such as Harbor Place and Oriole Park at Camden Yards, he concludes, an effort that successfully addresses Baltimore's economic problems can quickly become the model for cities throughout the nation. Read more See all Editorial Reviews
M**D
only elastic cities can grow and prosper...
Using Baltimore as an example, David Rusk believes cities and suburbs can only salvage themselves if they create metropolitan regional areas that are able to accommodate growth, deconcentrate poverty, and make central cities more economically competitive. Rusk's premise is that cities must become "elastic" in order to manage growth in tandem with the greater region. It is an attempt to use both fiscal and public policy as a tool to relieve the growing racial and economic disparity between the poor cities and the affluent suburbs. In this book Rusk outlines a strategy to help metropolitan regions become elastic and once again regain their competitive advantage. Recommended.
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