Paradox of Urban Revitalization

Howard Gillette, Jr. is Professor of History Emeritus at Rutgers University-Camden.

"Gillette superbly draws a set of nine urban portraits, cities addressing the tensions between economic development, equity, and community engagement...[C]ities can and should do more than what they are doing to balance the three goals of equity, economic development, and community engagement. They can benefit from implementation lessons described in this book. Howard Gillette has helped us understand the limits of what can be accomplished at the metropolitan level to resolve tensions between these three goals." (Housing Studies) "[A] welcome addition to canonical urban planning history and theory...Gillette shows how local government policymaking can make a difference and that there are ways—albeit imperfect—to counter growth machine politics of corporate subsidies and creative-class hangouts. Gillette advances that a paradox of 'progress' is grinding poverty and dispossession. Contemporary city leaders must intentionally harness urban growth toward more equitable development. Experts and non-experts alike have much to learn from that frame." (Journal of the American Planning Association) "The Paradox of Urban Revitalization is a welcome addition to the urban planning history and theory canon. Through an in-depth, multi-city empirical examination, Gillette discusses urban revitalization in the context of American cities' changing governance arrangements. The paradox advanced by Gillette is that urban revitalization geared to wealthier, whiter residents occasions displacement and deepening inequality for long-time working-class residents and residents of color. Gillette shows how local government policymaking can make a difference and that there are ways — albeit imperfect — to counter growth machine politics of corporate subsidies and creative class hangouts." (Planning Magazine) "[A]n important book that explores why recruiting new capital to cities has deepened inequality within them. Gillette draws on knowledge from decades of studying urban planning, social justice, and postindustrialism to explore local iterations of this dynamic in nine deeply researched and richly narrated case studies...Gilette's insights not only deepen historians' understanding of the era that followed the federal government's peak involvement in cities but also offer lessons for city planners and advocates seeking a road map for more inclusive development." (The Journal of American History) "In this ambitious case study, urban historian Gillette locates the origins of the modern civil rights reckoning within the context of urban crisis and the problems posed by efforts to revitalize postindustrial spaces...The Paradox of Urban Revitalization is a critical text for scholars interested in the complex relationship between structural racism and city policies." (Choice) "Howard Gillette, Jr. is one of our most important American urban historians. Here he digs his razor sharp analytical and empirical teeth into understanding the 'new urban crisis' of profoundly uneven economic growth. He centers much of his analysis on local politics and policies, which are central to today's urban inequality drama, yet he carefully embeds his modern-day analysis within a historic context of old urban renewal patterns and inequitable outcomes. This careful historical approach makes clear that today's urban inequalities and uprisings are part of a consistent pattern of past urban development and policy pursuits. The Paradox of Urban Revitalization is a must read for those interested in urban America and its persistent racial inequality." (Derek Hyra, American University) "The Paradox of Urban Revitalization provides an overview of the technical and political complexities of urban development, supplying the reader, and particularly students, with critical insights into the aspirations and challenges of activating the benefits of growth together with the reparative assets of equity and inclusion." (Toni Griffin, Harvard University) "In The Paradox of Urban Revitalization, Gillette brilliantly explores the stubborn linkage between poverty and progress, as well as the failure of inclusive development. Although cities have instituted various strategies to tackle racial inequities, he finds that even the ones he considers adopting the best programs are falling short. Gillette concludes that without a fundamental transformation of the prevailing political economy of racial capitalism, local efforts will not be enough to close the wealth gap." (Edward Muller, University of Pittsburgh)