Publisher Description

"A love song for the city . . . [this] volume, attractivelypackaged and richly illustrated, is really a cookbook for downtownrevitalization." --Wall Street Journal

In this pioneering book on successful urban recovery, two urbanexperts draw on their firsthand observations of downtown changeacross the country to identify a flexible, effective approach tourban rejuvenation. From transportation planning and sprawlcontainment to the threat of superstore retailers, they address ahost of key issues facing our cities today.

Roberta Brandes Gratz (New York, NY), an award-winning journalistand urban critic, is author of the urban design classic The LivingCity. A former staff reporter for the New York Post, Gratz haswritten for the New York Times Magazine and other publications.Norman Mintz (New York, NY) has played a leading role in the fieldof downtown revitalization for more than twenty-five years. He isDesign Director at the 34th Street Partnership in New York City anda consultant on downtown revitalization across the country.

Author Biography

ROBERTA BRANDES GRATZ, the award-winning journalist and urban critic, is author of the urban design classic The Living City: Thinking Small in a Big Way. A former staff reporter for the New York Post, Gratz has also written for The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, The Nation, The New York Times Magazine, and other publications. NORMAN MINTZ has played a leading role in the field of downtown revitalization for more than 25 years. He is Design Director at the Grand Central Partnership in New York City and a consultant on downtown revitalization across the country.

Table of Contents

WHERE ARE WE?

Mansfield, Ohio--Getting Off the Big Project Merry-Go-Round.

The Mess We Have Made.

Project Planning or Urban Husbandry--The Choice.

TRANSPORTATION AND PLACE.

Death and Rebirth of the Public Realm.

Rebuilding Place, Valuing Transit.

Undoing Sprawl.

BIG, LITTLE, AND PREDATOR.

Free Competition or No Competition?

You Don't Have to Be Wal-Mart to Be Wal-Mart.

To Market, To Market.

DOWNTOWN ESSENTIALS.

Public Buildings, Public Policies.

Back to Basics.

Investing in People.

IT'S HAPPENING.

The SoHo Syndrome.

Conclusion: Back from the Edge.

Index.

Review

In Cities Back from the Edge, Gratz and Mintz offer a love song for the city...their volume, attractively packaged and richly illustrated, is really a cookbook for downtown revitalization. It turns out the most valuable contribution to urban understanding of the year isn't only a book, it's also a bumper sticker: Think globally, act locally."--The Wall Street Journal

Cities Back From the Edge was featured again in The New York Times. Frank Rich writes, "In their new book persuasively arguing for less grandiose, more indigenous urban renewal, Roberta Brandes Gratz and Norman Mintz write that a 'collection of visitor attractions does not add up to a city' whether those attractions are cultural centers, convention centers, aquariums, stadiums or enclosed malls."--The New York Times

"...provides a fascinating insight into the US Urban Design scenario..." (Urban Design, Autumn 2001)

Review Text

In Cities Back from the Edge, Gratz and Mintz offer a love song for the city...their volume, attractively packaged and richly illustrated, is really a cookbook for downtown revitalization. It turns out the most valuable contribution to urban understanding of the year isn't only a book, it's also a bumper sticker: Think globally, act locally."--The Wall Street Journal

Cities Back From the Edge was featured again in The New York Times. Frank Rich writes, "In their new book persuasively arguing for less grandiose, more indigenous urban renewal, Roberta Brandes Gratz and Norman Mintz write that a 'collection of visitor attractions does not add up to a city' whether those attractions are cultural centers, convention centers, aquariums, stadiums or enclosed malls."--The New York Times

"...provides a fascinating insight into the US Urban Design scenario..." (Urban Design, Autumn 2001)

Review Quote

"...provides a fascinating insight into the US Urban Design scenario..." (Urban Design, Autumn 2001)

Promotional "Headline"

"...provides a fascinating insight into the US Urban Design scenario..." (Urban Design, Autumn 2001)

Feature

An incisive, in-depth look at how dozens of communities, downtowns, neighborhoods, main streets, and businesses have found?or are finding?new life across the United States. Written by Roberta Brandes Gratz, award-winning author of the urban design classic The Living City, and Main Street expert Norman Mintz. Offers specific guidelines for change and revitalization. Provides a unique perspective on the state of urban development and resulting quality of life.

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