ABSTRACT
Even before Japan had surrendered and World War II had been declared officially over, commentators on the urban scene began to think ahead to peacetime. The cities had experienced fifteen years of depression and war, and many observers expressed the need to respond swiftly and forcefully to the resultant deterioration. Cities would have to inventory their assets, embark on numerous schemes to fight blight and slums, and generally refocus the attention of the nation on the big cities—the driving forces, prior to the 1930s, behind prosperity and growth.
