The Urban Experience

Barry Bluestone is the Russell B. and Andree B. Stearns Trustee Professor Emeritus of Political Economy; Founding Director of the Dukakis Center; Founding Dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University. Mary Huff Stevenson is a Professor of Economics Emerita at the University of Massachusetts Boston.Russell E. Williams is an Associate Professor of Economics at Wheaton College.

[This book] is the best real-world interdisciplinary book out there [on the topic]. [It offers] strong theoretical and applied coverage of: (1) expected effects of climate change to urban areas, (2) how wealth inequality is generated by urban areas and solutions to mitigate [this], (3) housing affordability in the urban areas that individuals want to live in, (4) transportation/mobility upheavals and how the city deals with them, [and] (5) public safety and K-12 education concerns that keep people out of cities.

• Preface Part I. Introduction to Cities and Suburbs Chapter 1. The Wonder and Paradox of Urban Life Urban Issues and the Social Science LensOur Love/Hate Relationship with the City Our Love/Hate Relationship with the Suburbs The Importance of DensityUrban SpilloversEconomic Geographies and Political GeographiesThe Dynamics of Metropolitan DevelopmentAn Analytic Framework for Understanding Metropolitan Area DynamicsFurther Applications of the Analytic FrameworkWell-Being and Public PolicyThe Role of Political Power and Interest Groups Paradox and Urban InquiryKey Issues in Urban PolicyGlobalization and the Changing Role of U.S. CitiesThe Tools of the TradeOpportunity CostThe Criteria of Efficiency and Equity ExternalitiesUnintended ConsequencesOther Important Economic Concepts Chapter 2. Cities of the World: How Metro Areas Rank Defining Metro AreasThe Need for Standard Definitions New DefinitionsRanking The World's Metropolitan Areas Roles in the World EconomyRanking US Metropolitan AreasCities and Their ReputationsA Taxonomy of 21st Century CitiesCentral Cities and SuburbsEconomic Rankings of CitiesThe Cost of LivingRanking World CitiesAverage Income per Capita per Year (PPP)PovertyRace and EthnicityRacial and Ethnic Diversity in Global CitiesIncome Disparities in Global CitiesUsing Data Wisely Part II. The Dynamics of Metropolitan Development Chapter 3. Metropolitan Development from the Seventeenth to the Early Twentieth CenturyThe Geography of Growth: Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces The Era of Water and Steam PowerThe Era of Railroads, Electricity, and the TelephoneSome Economic Concepts Underlying Urban GrowthTrade and Transportation Costs Agglomeration Economies and Density Internal Economies of ScaleSize of Consumer Markets Technological ProgressTransportation Costs between 19th Century Cities Weber's Graphical Model of Transportation Costs Other Important Ideas from Weber and from Isard Transportation Costs within 19th Century CitiesAgglomeration Economies and the Growth of Cities Technological Progress and InnovationDemographic Growth and Change in Urban AreasInternal Migration: From Rural to Urban America Immigration and the Growth of American Cities Annexation and the Growing Size of CitiesThe Changing Pattern of Urban Population Growth Chapter 4. Cities and Suburbs Moving Into the 21st Century The Dynamics of Metropolitan ExpansionFormal Models of Urban Growth and DevelopmentUnderstanding Urban Land Values The Basic Alonso Model---Learning About Cities from Rural FarmsApplying the Bid-Rent Model to Metro Area Development The Residential ParadoxConstrained Choice and Political Factors in Land Values and LocationThe Evolution of 20th Century U.S. Metropolitan AreasPost World War II Business LocationThe Rise of the Post-World War II SuburbThe Impact of Federal Policies on SuburbanizationClass, Race, and Ethnic Segregation in the American CityNew Immigration and the CitiesCross-Currents of the Late 20th Century: Sunbelt Cities, Edge Cities, And GentrificationThe Rise of Sunbelt Cities The Rise of Edge CitiesCentral Cities and Gentrification The Changing Fortunes of Individual CitiesGlobalization and the Competition for Industry in the 21st CenturyWeber and the Twenty-First-Century City Part III. Foundations of Metropolitan Area Prosperity Chapter 5. Urban Prosperity and the Role of Trade A Short Primer on the Economics of TradeAbsolute Advantage Comparative AdvantageLimitations to the Theory of Comparative Advantage New Trade TheoryThe Theory of Competitive AdvantageTrade and ProsperityExport Base Theory: The Demand Side of the Metropolitan Area's EconomyThe Basic/Non-Basic Approach: A Simple Measurement TechniqueJob Multipliers Location QuotientsLimitations of the Basic/Non-Basic ApproachInput-Output Analysis: A More Complex Set of ToolsLimitations of the Input-Output Measurement Technique Limitations of the Demand Side FocusShifting the Focus from the Demand Side to the Supply SideThe Supply Side: A Long-Term PerspectiveInteractions between the Demand Side and the Supply Side Strategies for Less-Resilient Metropolitan AreasCompetitive Advantage in Inner-City NeighborhoodsUnderstanding Metro Area Prosperity in Light of Economic TheoryNewly Prosperous Metro Areas in the USSumming Up Chapter 6. Urban Labor Markets and Metro Prosperity The National Economic Business CycleUnemployment Across the GlobeEmployment and Unemployment in the United StatesWhat Occupations PayLabor Market Earnings by Metro AreaOccupational Wage Differentials Across Metro Areas Occupational Wage Differentials Between Occupations AcrossMetro AreasTheories About Wage DeterminationUnderstanding Wage DifferentialsHuman CapitalMarket Power and Barriers to Mobility in the Labor MarketRacial and Ethnic Discrimination Spatial MismatchSkills MismatchEmployment, Social Networks, and Social CapitalThe Role of UnionsImmigrationExplaining Metro Area Earnings Differentials: A SummaryLabor Markets and Urban Prosperity Part IV. Current Policy Issues in Metro Areas Chapter 7. The Urban Public Sector Government's Economic Role in Metro AreasHow the Private Market is Supposed to WorkSupply and Demand in the Private SectorMarket Failure and the Public SectorMarket Power Information ProblemsNegative and Positive Externalities Pure Public GoodsGovernment and the Distribution of Well-BeingThe Debate over the Scope of Government InterventionMarket Failure and the Alternatives for Providing Goods and ServicesRegulated Private Markets Public Funding/Private Provision Public ProvisionLocal Government Employment and Spending PatternsPrivatization of Public ServicesPaying for Government ServicesIncome and Sales Taxes Levied by Local GovernmentsPricing in the Public SectorA Primer on the Economics of Building and Paying for Bridges User FeesThe Tiebout Hypothesis Limitations in the Tiebout Hypothesis MetropolitanismIndividuals, Interest Groups, and ValuesPublic Choice Theory Interest Groups and Elites IncrementalismRegime Theory and Growth MachinesThe Nature of Voting SystemsThe Challenge of Public Sector Decision Making Appendix A: Negative Externalities Appendix B: Positive Externalities Chapter 8. Urban Public Education and Metro Prosperity The Decentralized U.S. Education SystemVariation in School SpendingThe Importance of Schooling in Modern SocietyVariation in Educational Attainment across Metro Areas Educational Attainment and Metro Area IncomeEducation, New Growth Theory, and the Well-Being of Cities and SuburbsEducation Production FunctionsRacial and Ethnic Differences in Educational Opportunity and OutcomesTrends in School Success by Race and EthnicityUnderstanding <"Meritocracy> "Educational Success: The Role of Pre-SchoolDoes the Level of Spending on K-12 Really Matter?An Expanded Education Production FunctionA Growing Array of Public SchoolsCareer and Technical Education Public SchoolsMagnet Schools, Charter Schools, and For-Profit Schools School Choice and Voucher Systems Do These School Reforms Work? Chapter 9. Urban Physical Infrastructure: Water, Sewer, Waste, and Energy Combating Disease and DeathDensity and the Spread of EpidemicsWater Supply SystemsFrom Private to Public OperationSolid Waste ManagementThe First Municipal Garbage System Coping with Mountains of TrashUrban Wastewater and SewersUrban Sewer SystemsNew Challenges to Urban Sewer SystemsUrban Energy InfrastructureTraditional Energy SourcesThe Impact of New Prime Movers in the Industrial AgeLocation, Location, Location -- The Problem of Distance and theImpact of Electricity New Fossil Fuel Sources, Distance, and PipelinesEnergy Infrastructure in the Early 21st Century Chapter 10. Urban Area Transportation What Consumers Want: The Demand Side of Metropolitan TransportationTravel TrendsThe Journey to WorkExternalities and the Movement of GoodsExternalities and Mass Transit SubsidiesThe Supply Side of Metropolitan TransportationIssues in Contemporary Metropolitan Transportation Policy Short Run Issues: Getting Prices RightLong Run Issues: Deciding on Future TransportationInfrastructure InvestmentTransportation Equity Issues Chapter 11. Urban Social Infrastructure: Public Health, Welfare Policies, and Public Amenities Public Health IndicatorsThe Provision of Public Health Services Infectious DiseasesChronic Illnesses and the Expansion of Public Health InitiativesPersonal Health Care: Hospitals and Health CentersHealth Care for the PoorHealth Disparities in the Metro RegionUrban Public Health in a Global Context: Epidemics, Bioterrorism, and Homeland SecurityUrban Social Welfare: Poverty, Unemployment and Living ConditionsAmeliorating Living Conditions in Poor NeighborhoodsUrban Public Amenities: Pastoral Parks and Public Libraries Social Unrest and the Provision of Urban Public AmenitiesFailure of Expectations and a Repurposing for the Twenty-First Century Chapter 12. Urban Public Safety Urban PolicePolice, Public Safety and the Public -- Some Basic QuestionsThe Origins of Municipal Police Forces in the USTwentieth Century Transformation of Urban Police DepartmentsThe Role of Civilian Employees in Police DepartmentsCrime Prevention in Urban Settings: From 20th Century to 21stCentury ParadigmsReimagining Public Safety for the 21st CenturyInsights From the Data New Issues of the 21st Century: Private Security, Internet Crime, and Homeland SecurityFire DepartmentsFire Safety RegulationsStructural and Chemical Fire HazardsEmergency Medical Services (EMS) Chapter 13. Land Use Controls, Sprawl, and Smart Growth Land Use Restrictions and ZoningThe Power of Eminent DomainThe Legalization of U.S. Zoning RegulationsTypes of Zoning RegulationsUnderzoning and OverzoningEquity Issues in ZoningZoning and Informal SettlementsZoning and Metropolitan Sprawl What's Wrong with SprawlUrban Sprawl and Commuting TimesThe Debate About SprawlMeasuring SprawlGenerating Sprawl: Market Forces and Public Policy Reducing Sprawl: Market Forces and Public Policy Smart GrowthDensity, Crowding, and PandemicsBarriers to Smart Growth ImplementationEquity and Efficiency Considerations in Alternative Metropolitan Growth ScenariosLand Use Controls and Spatial Form Chapter 14. Urban Housing Markets, Residential Location, and Housing Policy The Size of the U.S. Housing MarketU.S. Home Ownership Rates over TimeVariance in Home Prices and Rents Across Metro AreasWhat Drives Metro Area Housing Prices: Supply and DemandPricing Housing and the Hedonic IndexBudget Constraints and Housing PreferencesHousing "Affordability"Housing Prices and Vacancy RatesThe Impact of Accelerating Home Prices and Rents on Household LocationPost World War II Suburbanization and Residential SegregationMeasuring SegregationThe Causes of Housing Segregation Segregation and Social-Class Structure Concentrated Poverty in the Inner CityThe Suburbanization of PovertyHousing Policy across the GlobeU.S. Federal Housing PolicySubsidizing Housing Demand Subsidizing Housing SupplyState and Local Housing PolicyRent ControlThe Unintended Short Run Consequences of Rent Control Intervening in Housing Markets: A Word of Caution Chapter 15. Urban Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change The Human Causes of Climate DisastersRising Global Temperatures and the Potential Impact on CitiesMajor Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG)The Cities Most Likely to Experience the Impact of Climate ChangeThe Impact of Climate Change on U.S. Regions and StatesSea Level Rise and Ground Water LossA Tale of One CityCombatting Environmental Disaster by Reducing Greenhouse GasesReducing Pollution of Varied Types Climate Adaptation Activities and Climate ResilienceRelocation as a Response to Climate Change Steps Toward an Urban Resilience PlanTools for Comparing and Selecting Adaptation OptionsUrban Measures to Cut Greenhouse Gas EmissionsReducing Waste and Recycling TrashCreating Urban Energy SystemsReducing Vehicle EmissionsCan Cities be Good for the Environment?Appendix A: Cost-Benefit Analysis Chapter 16. Urban Economic Development Strategies Firm Relocation in the U.S. The Trend in Manufacturing Employment The Geographic Dispersion of JobsGoals of Economic Development Location from the Business PerspectivePublic Policy, Economic Development, and Firm LocationReducing Capital Costs (r x K) Reducing Labor Costs (w x L)Reducing Raw Materials, Natural Resources, and Transportation Costs (pn x N), CsReducing Taxes (T) Streamlining Regulations (R) Increasing Social AmenitiesWhat Works?Increasing a Firm's Total Revenue Reducing a Firm's Capital CostsReducing Labor Costs/Increasing Skills and Education Public Provision of Transportation and Land Industrial Parks and Eminent DomainReducing State and Local TaxesStreamlining Regulations and Enterprise Zones Building Convention Centers and Sports StadiumsWhy Do Cities Pursue Economic Development Strategies with Such Low Payoffs?What are the Most Powerful Ways for Cities to Attract Private Investment and Jobs?Innovation DistrictsPlaying Industrial Policy Right - The Case of the Massachusetts Life Sciences CenterWhat Should City Leaders and Policy Makers Do to Play the Economic Development Game Better? Chapter 17. Urban Well-Being, Civility, and Civic Engagement in the 21st Century What Do We Want from our Neighborhoods and How Do We Get It?The Tiebout Hypothesis and Privatization of Public Spaces Gated Communities and the Avoidance of Dis-Amenities Dissatisfied Citizens and their Choices: Exit versus VoiceHow Do We Create Better Communities?The Role of Social Capital and Civic Engagement Social Capital, Suburbanization, and Sprawl Social Capital and Neighborhood FormNeighborhood Form and Crime ReductionThe Effect of Social Capital on the Lives of the Most Vulnerable The Future of Metropolitan AreasPandemics and the Future of Metropolitan AreasCrosscurrents in the Impact of Covid-19 on U.S. Metropolitan AreasRegeneration for Whom? Rebuilding Central City Neighborhoods Demographic Change and Low Income CommunitiesThe Perils of SuccessAn Urban Thought Experiment Glossary Index