The author, an urbanologist, takes us to cities across the country to reveal how the roles of America's cities and suburbs are changing places; young adults and affluent retirees moving in, while immigrants and the less affluent are moving out, and the implications for the future of our society. How will our nation be changed by the populations shifting in and out of the cities? Why are these shifts taking place? The author answers these and other questions in this study. He shows us how mass transit has revitalized inner-city communities in Chicago and Brooklyn, New York, while inner suburbs like Cleveland Heights struggle to replace the earlier generation of affluent tax-paying residents who left for more distant suburbs; how the sprawl of Phoenix has frustrated attempts to create downtown retail spaces that can attract large crowds; and how numerous suburban communities have created downtown areas to appeal to the increasing demand for walkable commercial zones. Finally, he explains what cities need to do to keep the affluent and educated attracted to and satisfied with downtown life. This book is an eye-opening look at American urban/suburban society and its future.
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