Making Cities Work

Making Cities Workbrings together leading writers and scholars on urban America to offer critical perspectives on how to sustain prosperous, livable cities in today's fast-evolving economy. Successful cities provide jobs, quality schools, safe and clean neighborhoods, effective transportation, and welcoming spaces for all residents. But cities must be managed well if they are to remain attractive places to work, relax, and raise a family; otherwise residents, firms, and workers will leave and the social and economic advantages of city living will be lost.Drawing on cutting-edge research in the social sciences, the contributors explore optimal ways to manage the modern city and propose solutions to today's most pressing urban problems. Topics include the urban economy, transportation, housing and open space, immigration, race, the impacts of poverty on children, education, crime, and financing and managing services. The contributors show how to make cities work for diverse urban constituencies, and why we still need cities despite the many challenges they pose.Making Cities Workbrings the latest findings in urban economics to policymakers, researchers, and students, as well as anyone interested in urban affairs.In addition to the editor, the contributors are David Card, Philip J. Cook, Janet Currie, Edward L. Glaeser, Joseph Gyourko, Richard J. Murnane, Witold Rybczynski, Kenneth A. Small, and Jacob L. Vigdor.

List of Illustrations and Tables vii Foreword by Robert P. Inman xi Acknowledgments by Robert P. Inman xiii Contributors xv Chapter 1: Introduction: City Prospects, City Policies by Robert P. Inman 1 Chapter 2: Growth: The Death and Life of Cities by Edward L. Glaeser 22 Chapter 3: Transportation: Urban Transportation Policy by Kenneth A. Small 63 Chapter 4: Space: The Design of the Urban Environment by Witold Rybczynski 94 Chapter 5: Housing: Urban Housing Markets by Joseph Gyourko 123 Chapter 6: Immigration: How Immigration Affects U.S. Cities by David Card 158 Chapter 7: Race: The Perplexing Persistence of Race by Jacob L. Vigdor 201 Chapter 8: Poverty: Poverty among Inner-City Children by Janet Currie 226 Chapter 9: Education: Educating Urban Children by Richard J. Murnane 269 Chapter 10: Crime: Crime in the City by Philip J. Cook 297 Chapter 11: Finances: Financing City Services by Robert P. Inman 328 Index 363