Metropolis: Its People, Politics and Economic Life

The Following from the authors' Preface: We have extensively revised The Metropolis to take account of the new developments and their impact on urban institutions and life-styles. As I the three previous editions our objective is to provide a comprehensive overview and analysis of American communities. We are concerned with their social and economic characteristics, their physical features, the manner in which they are organized and governed the roles they play, the resources they have at their disposal, and the problems they face. The treatment of intergovernmental relations is substantially enlarged to reflect the growing dependence of local communities on higher levels if public authority. Added attention is paid to the revitalization of the older and distressed cities, a matter of increasing importance in an era calling for the conservation and efficient use of national resources. More consideration is given to the role of the courts as urban policymakers and to the position of women and other minorities in metropolitan society. And greater emphasis is placed on the differences (as well as similarities) that exist among SMSAs.