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American Metropolitics: The New Suburban Reality
" In 1998, Myron Orfield introduced a revolutionary program for combating the seemingly inevitable decline of America's metropolitan communities. Through a combination of demographic research, state-of-the-art mapping, and resourceful, pragmatic politics, his groundbreaking book, Metropolitics, revealed how the different regions of St. Paul and Minneapolis pulled together to create a regional government powerful enough to tackle the community's problems of sprawl and urban decay. Orfield's new work, American Metropolitics , applies the next generation of cutting-edge research on a much broader scale. The book provides an eye-opening analysis of the economic, racial, environmental, and political trends of the 25 largest metropolitan regions in the United States—which contain more than 45 percent of the U.S. population. Using detailed maps and case studies, Orfield demonstrates that growing social separation and wasteful sprawling development patterns are harming regional citizens wherever they live. With detailed maps of conditions in each metropolitan region, comprehensive data on existing conditions and voter attitudes, and bold, innovative strategies for change, American Metropolitics is an important book for anyone concerned with the future of our cities and suburbs. "
221 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 20, 2013
This book approaches the problem of sprawl from in a unique and non-divisive way. It Orfield starts by refuted the assumption that the "suburbs" are rich and cities are poor. He shows through many charts and maps that the suburbs are quite varied and that they face many of the same problems as central cities. He also shows that a rich area will soon face the same problems. From this more equal footing he lays out the problems that each layer of the metropolis faces now (or will face in the near future). These include declining tax base, declining schools, aging housing stock, and failing infrastructure.
Orfield puts for the idea that regionalism is the only solution to these problems. Fragmented metropolitan governments (Pittsburgh for example has 412 governments in its metro-area) that compete with each other and only protect their own cannot save a region. If one suburb rejects a development of 2,000 homes on 2-acre lots each without proper sewage, another area in the region will accept them. All the first region has done is lose tax revenue and keep their tiny pocket of the metropolis nicer. The region as a whole will still be harmed by the development when the septic tanks fail and the state bails them out (by diverting funds that could've gone to that first suburb). Fragmentation also reduces efficiency and increases costs for residents.
Orfield's approach is systematic and very easy to follow. He lays out the problems and then shows real world examples of how communities have tried and failed to deal with them on their own. He also shows examples of places where regionalism is currently working.
With the case made for regionalism he moves onto showing how to sell the idea. Going with the idea that there are many varieties of suburbs, he shows how the solution should be sold to each one. He then lays out some general guidelines for dealing with the process.
I liked the straight forward writing in this book. It was a little dry but very easy to understand. The maps were colorful and plentiful but were offered with too little commentary and many were too far removed from the text. They still provide a good reference. I also felt that some of the recommendations were a little too broad to be very useful. This is more of primer, to get you thinking about regionalism. I would have liked to see a bit more attention paid to the specifics of how regionalism would work, but I guess that might be outside the scope of this book.
Still, it was a very good, level-headed analysis of the current situation in our metropolitan areas.
Orfield puts for the idea that regionalism is the only solution to these problems. Fragmented metropolitan governments (Pittsburgh for example has 412 governments in its metro-area) that compete with each other and only protect their own cannot save a region. If one suburb rejects a development of 2,000 homes on 2-acre lots each without proper sewage, another area in the region will accept them. All the first region has done is lose tax revenue and keep their tiny pocket of the metropolis nicer. The region as a whole will still be harmed by the development when the septic tanks fail and the state bails them out (by diverting funds that could've gone to that first suburb). Fragmentation also reduces efficiency and increases costs for residents.
Orfield's approach is systematic and very easy to follow. He lays out the problems and then shows real world examples of how communities have tried and failed to deal with them on their own. He also shows examples of places where regionalism is currently working.
With the case made for regionalism he moves onto showing how to sell the idea. Going with the idea that there are many varieties of suburbs, he shows how the solution should be sold to each one. He then lays out some general guidelines for dealing with the process.
I liked the straight forward writing in this book. It was a little dry but very easy to understand. The maps were colorful and plentiful but were offered with too little commentary and many were too far removed from the text. They still provide a good reference. I also felt that some of the recommendations were a little too broad to be very useful. This is more of primer, to get you thinking about regionalism. I would have liked to see a bit more attention paid to the specifics of how regionalism would work, but I guess that might be outside the scope of this book.
Still, it was a very good, level-headed analysis of the current situation in our metropolitan areas.
July 9, 2008
This book approaches the problem of sprawl from in a unique and non-divisive way. It Orfield starts by refuted the assumption that the "suburbs" are rich and cities are poor. He shows through many charts and maps that the suburbs are quite varied and that they face many of the same problems as central cities. He also shows that a rich area will soon face the same problems. From this more equal footing he lays out the problems that each layer of the metropolis faces now (or will face in the near future). These include declining tax base, declining schools, aging housing stock, and failing infrastructure.
Orfield puts for the idea that regionalism is the only solution to these problems. Fragmented metropolitan governments (Pittsburgh for example has 412 governments in its metro-area) that compete with each other and only protect their own cannot save a region. If one suburb rejects a development of 2,000 homes on 2-acre lots each without proper sewage, another area in the region will accept them. All the first region has done is lose tax revenue and keep their tiny pocket of the metropolis nicer. The region as a whole will still be harmed by the development when the septic tanks fail and the state bails them out (by diverting funds that could've gone to that first suburb). Fragmentation also reduces efficiency and increases costs for residents.
Orfield's approach is systematic and very easy to follow. He lays out the problems and then shows real world examples of how communities have tried and failed to deal with them on their own. He also shows examples of places where regionalism is currently working.
With the case made for regionalism he moves onto showing how to sell the idea. Going with the idea that there are many varieties of suburbs, he shows how the solution should be sold to each one. He then lays out some general guidelines for dealing with the process.
I liked the straight forward writing in this book. It was a little dry but very easy to understand. The maps were colorful and plentiful but were offered with too little commentary and many were too far removed from the text. They still provide a good reference. I also felt that some of the recommendations were a little too broad to be very useful. This is more of primer, to get you thinking about regionalism. I would have liked to see a bit more attention paid to the specifics of how regionalism would work, but I guess that might be outside the scope of this book.
Still, it was a very good, level-headed analysis of the current situation in our metropolitan areas.
Orfield puts for the idea that regionalism is the only solution to these problems. Fragmented metropolitan governments (Pittsburgh for example has 412 governments in its metro-area) that compete with each other and only protect their own cannot save a region. If one suburb rejects a development of 2,000 homes on 2-acre lots each without proper sewage, another area in the region will accept them. All the first region has done is lose tax revenue and keep their tiny pocket of the metropolis nicer. The region as a whole will still be harmed by the development when the septic tanks fail and the state bails them out (by diverting funds that could've gone to that first suburb). Fragmentation also reduces efficiency and increases costs for residents.
Orfield's approach is systematic and very easy to follow. He lays out the problems and then shows real world examples of how communities have tried and failed to deal with them on their own. He also shows examples of places where regionalism is currently working.
With the case made for regionalism he moves onto showing how to sell the idea. Going with the idea that there are many varieties of suburbs, he shows how the solution should be sold to each one. He then lays out some general guidelines for dealing with the process.
I liked the straight forward writing in this book. It was a little dry but very easy to understand. The maps were colorful and plentiful but were offered with too little commentary and many were too far removed from the text. They still provide a good reference. I also felt that some of the recommendations were a little too broad to be very useful. This is more of primer, to get you thinking about regionalism. I would have liked to see a bit more attention paid to the specifics of how regionalism would work, but I guess that might be outside the scope of this book.
Still, it was a very good, level-headed analysis of the current situation in our metropolitan areas.
March 28, 2008
With beautiful mapping and clear writing, Myron Orfield explains how local political boundaries translate into gross inequity within a metropolitan region. Plus, ideas on coalition-building to make it better. I own the book but am keeping it.
August 22, 2009
Another Urban Planning book but one of the better ones. Actually has really good information about cities, race, gentrification, education, etc... Might recommend this to Kelly or Rachel since there is a lot in there on education.
April 18, 2019
A must for urban planners working against the conservative and neo-liberal agendas of concentrating poverty and race in neighborhoods and cities.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews