ABSTRACT

Urban redevelopment in American cities is neither easy nor quick. It takes a delicate alignment of goals, power, leadership and sustained advocacy on the part of many. Rebuilding the American City highlights 15 urban design and planning projects in the U.S. that have been catalysts for their downtowns—yet were implemented during the tumultuous start of the 21st century. The book presents five paradigms for redevelopment and a range of perspectives on the complexities, successes and challenges inherent to rebuilding American cities today. Rebuilding the American City is essential reading for practitioners and students in urban design, planning, and public policy looking for diverse models of urban transformation to create resilient urban cores.

chapter |12 pages

Introduction

part |44 pages

The Anchor Institution: Leveraging Stability

part |44 pages

The Urban River: Leveraging a Natural Resource

part |47 pages

The Existing Urban Fabric: Leveraging Context

part |45 pages

The Urban Park System: Leveraging Underutilized Land and Infrastructure

chapter |13 pages

Atlanta, GA: BeltLine

chapter |15 pages

Houston, TX: Buffalo Bayou

part |48 pages

The Downtown District: Leveraging Proximities and Transit