ABSTRACT
We have reason to be guardedly optimistic. After several decades of steady decline, many cities stabilized during the 1990s, and some even experienced resurgence. In many urban areas, poverty, unemployment, welfare dependency, and crime rates dropped-in some cases dramatically. Low vacancy rates and high rents in the office buildings of many downtown districts indicate that central cities continue to be desirable places to do business. Many urban neighborhoods, especially those near to the downtown core, are enjoying a revival brought about by an influx of young adults, empty nesters, and immigrants.
