ABSTRACT
The conclusion looks to the future of urban politics in the United States. It focuses attention on key trends that are likely to characterize urban politics and policy in the near future: the continued growth of the suburbs and suburban power; the dominance of economic development matters in the local arena; the continuing importance of race; the rise of resegregation; the growing significance of the Latino and Latina voters; and the pivotal role of the suburbs in urban policy. The chapter argues for the importance of pursuing both programs aimed at community development while also pursuing strategies to reduce discrimination and rectify the racial and class imbalances of the contemporary metropolis. The chapter proceeds to lay out nine guiding principles for building a pragmatic and effective urban policy for a suburban age, including: emphasizing a program’s appeal to middle-class and suburban communities; targeting within universalism, using the tax code to advance housing investment and other urban policy goals, the continuing importance of public-private partnerships and of bottom-up grassroots actions, and the importance of taking advantage of targets of opportunity created by the willingness of Americans to provide assistance to children, veterans, the elderly, and other sympathetic communities. Americans also support programs to protect the natural environment. The chapter concludes with a section on “Toward Sustainable Cities” that describes the many initiatives that cities and suburbs have taken to promote to promote growth while also protecting the natural environment.
