Downtown: Its Rise and Fall, 1880–1950Winner of a Lewis Mumford Prize: “Extremely engaging reading for those interested in the history of cities and urban experience.” —Booklist Written by one of this country’s foremost urban historians, Downtown is the first history of what was once viewed as the heart of the American city. It tells the fascinating story of how downtown—and the way Americans thought about downtown—changed over time. By showing how businessmen and property owners worked to promote the well-being of downtown, even at the expense of other parts of the city, it also gives a riveting account of spatial politics in urban America. Drawing on a wide array of contemporary sources, Robert M. Fogelson brings downtown to life, first as the business district, then as the central business district, and finally as just another business district. His book vividly recreates the long-forgotten battles over subways and skyscrapers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. And it provides a fresh, often startling perspective on elevated highways, parking bans, urban redevelopment, and other controversial issues. This groundbreaking book will be a revelation to scholars, city planners, policymakers, and anyone interested in American cities and American history. “A thorough and accomplished history.” —The Washington Post Book World "Superlative . . . a vital contribution to the study of American life.” —Publishers Weekly “A superbly thorough analysis of the causes of inner-city blight, congestion, and economic decline in mid-20th century urban America.” —Library Journal Includes photographs |
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User Review - jonerthon - LibraryThingThe author claimed in the foreword of this title that someone had to take on the project of chronicling how large urban downtowns came to be, but I'm not sure I agree. He also began with the personal ... Read full review
Downtown: its rise and fall, 1880-1950
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictOne of the nation's leading urban historians, Fogelson (urban studies, MIT; The Fragmented Metropolis: Los Angeles, 1850-1930) examines the history of the American city center, from a position of ... Read full review
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American Architect American City Angeles April Architect and Building Association of Building Automobile Baltimore Sun blighted areas Boston Building Owners businessmen and property central business district Chicago Loop Chicago Tribune City Planning city’s Cleveland commercial Committee construction December decentralization department stores downtown business interests downtown businessmen early Economic elevated highways elevated railways engineer February federal freeways Harland Bartholomew height limits January Land Loop Louis Manhattan March mass transit McClintock metropolis Metropolitan million motorists neighborhoods office buildings outlying business districts Owners and Managers parking ban parking meters percent periphery Philadelphia Pittsburgh property owners property values proposed public housing Rapid Transit Commission rapid transit system Real Estate Record Record and Builders relieve traffic congestion Report residents retail skyscrapers slum clearance slums and blighted street railways Street Traffic streetcars suburbs subway Superhighway tall buildings tenement houses traffic congestion traffic problem Transportation Urban Land Institute urban redevelopment wrote York City York’s
Bibliographic information
| Title | Downtown: Its Rise and Fall, 1880–1950 |
| Author | Robert M. Fogelson |
| Edition | unabridged |
| Publisher | Yale University Press, 2001 |
| ISBN | 0300133405, 9780300133400 |
| Length | 516 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Social History History / United States / 20th Century Political Science / Public Policy / City Planning & Urban Development Social Science / Sociology / Urban |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |