ABSTRACT
This chapter explores a single city to determine whether joining federal programs to local situations is indeed a significant problem that should command more attention. It discusses that population and housing data are taken from the decennial counts by the United States (US) and outlines what Baltimore’s situation really is, and how it is different from and similar to other US cities. On the surface, Baltimore appears to be just another large, decaying, eastern city, experiencing population decline, outmigration of industry and commerce, an expanding black minority, a rise in social problems, and antagonism from suburban neighbors. The predominant feature of Baltimore’s residential landscape is the masonry row house, varying in size from the stately former mansion to the 12-foot-wide alley house. Like other major American cities, Baltimore has experienced a substantial rise in its black population and a more than corresponding decline among whites.
