ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The ideas of equality of opportunity and choice underlie much of urban and regional policy, even if it has had little success at the goals. The psychological literature on values and economic class helps explain why pursuing equality of opportunity alone may not be the most just approach. Critics of urban renewal have shown how the experience of relocation can be traumatic for low-income residents. The most achievable goal of income mixing is improving access to resources, but this need only be at the district scale or above. Social seams between neighborhoods may support income mixing as well or better than providing a diversity of housing types within a neighborhood, and can also provide the kind of institutional density that helps support life chances. Redeveloping sites and neighborhoods might spur revitalization, but is unlikely to create economic development without supportive policies at the macro scale.
