Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change Amid Decline and Revival ed. by J. Rosie Tighe and Stephanie Ryberg-Webster

Abstract

Reviewed by: Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change Amid Decline and Revival ed. by J. Rosie Tighe and Stephanie Ryberg-Webster Henry Himes Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change Amid Decline and Revival. Edited by J. Rosie Tighe and Stephanie Ryberg-Webster. (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2019. 240 pp. Hardcover $45.00, ISBN 978-0-8229-4563-5.) Coming out of the global catastrophe of World War II, the United States stood alone as the world's preeminent economic power. The postwar world witnessed strong economic growth and the emergence of an expanding middle class promoted by the strength and size of the US labor movement along with Keynesian demand side economic policies. The period from roughly 1946 to the mid 1970s, also known as the "Affluent Era," unfortunately did not last forever. By the mid- to late- 1970s, the country witnessed the emergence of neoliberalism, a stagnating economy, the decline of labor, and the phenomenon of deindustrialization and globalization, all of which negatively impacted once sizable and vibrant industrial cities such as St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Cleveland. From the mid-1970s to the present, these urban industrial powerhouses witnessed significant economic, social, political, and cultural decline as both industry and people abandoned the city. In its wake came the Rust Belt, and what many scholars today call "Legacy Cities." J. Rosie Tighe and Stephanie Ryberg-Webster's edited compilation Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change Amid Decline and Revival focuses on analyzing various aspects and phenomenon of legacy cities such as the impact of urban decline, urban planning and policy, and possible paths forward that could help legacy cities stabilize their populations, promote diversity and equity, and spur economic growth. The authors note, "the term legacy evokes these cities' positive heritage and assets as well as their continuing burdens and challenges." (3) The book is an edited compilation of essays from a host of academics of various backgrounds and disciplines. The totality of the book focuses on the past, present, and future of legacy cities. The book is subdivided into three sections. Section one, "US Legacy Cities: Conditions and Prospects," is the broadest in scope of all the sections as it does not focus on any one legacy city, but instead focuses on analyzing key legacy city issues. The various authors in this section tackle important topics, such as legacy city politics with an emphasis on jurisdictional fragmentation as well as the impact of population decline on city resources, economic decline and the loss of tax revenue, the built environment, and housing decline and decay. Section one ultimately exposes the reader to the myriad issues faced by all legacy cities, while sections two and three turn inward and focus specifically on legacy city issues [End Page 118] associated with Cleveland, Ohio. The essays in section two focus on decline in Cleveland and tackle such topics as racial segregation, neighborhood-level economic decline, and regional housing issues. Section three also focuses on Cleveland; however, emphasizing various policies that can help stem the tide of economic decline and help to revitalize the city. The essays in section three focus on the built environment, the promotion of legacy city art and cultural institutions, mitigating industrial environmental issues, and mitigating regional political fragmentation. Throughout the entire book, the authors emphasize the need for "equitable planning" and a "holistic" approach to problem-solving. (247) In addition, the authors suggest the book is designed to provide, "a better understanding of the conditions of decline, the prospects for mitigating decline, and the possibilities for the future." (246) Indeed, with this work, the authors do just that. Ultimately, Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change Amid Decline and Revival is chock-full of valuable history, analysis, policy, and insights pertaining to legacy cities that is accessible and useful to both the novice and academic reader. Henry Himes Youngstown State University Copyright © 2020 The Kent State University Press