The North American Growth Fixation and the Inner City: Roads of Excess

In North America, growth has long been the Holy Grail of city politics for reasons that are not entirely frivolous. Since it is of the essence of city life, even more than of life generally, that change is constant, some growth is necessary to avoid decline. As some people or activities vacate a city, or part of a city, either something else must take their place or decay sets in. A certain amount of growth, therefore, is essential to a city’s wellbeing.