An ordinary city : planning for growth and decline in New Bedford, Massachusetts

Description

This book paints an intimate portrait of an overlooked kind of city that neither grows nor declines drastically. In fact, New Bedford, Massachusetts represents an entire category of cities that escape mainstream urban studies’ more customary attention to global cities (New York), booming cities (Atlanta), and shrinking cities (Flint). New Bedford-style ordinary cities are none of these, they neither grow nor decline drastically, but in their inconspicuousness, they account for a vast majority of all cities. Given the complexities of growth and decline, both temporarily and spatially, how does a city manage change and physically adapt to growth and decline? This book offers an answer through a detailed analysis of the politics, environment, planning strategies, and history of New Bedford. Front Matter ....Pages i-xii Introduction (Justin B. Hollander)....Pages 1-14 Planning for Growth and Decline in America: A Concise History (Justin B. Hollander)....Pages 15-38 Theories of Smart Shrinkage and Smart Growth (Justin B. Hollander)....Pages 39-61 How Much Change Is Too Much: A Look at the Numbers (Justin B. Hollander)....Pages 63-85 The Legacy of Change: Depopulation and Growth’s Impact on New Bedford Today (Justin B. Hollander)....Pages 87-99 After the Hurricane: Government Responses to Employment and Population Decline, 1929–1975 (Justin B. Hollander)....Pages 101-121 Coming to Terms with Change: Contemporary Policy Responses (Justin B. Hollander)....Pages 123-149 Urban Absorption (Justin B. Hollander)....Pages 151-187 Conclusion (Justin B. Hollander)....Pages 189-195 Back Matter ....Pages 197-234