Halfway to Everywhere: A Portrait of America's First-Tier Suburbs

During the 1990s, America celebrated its cities, training the spotlight on its many successful revitalized downtowns. During that same period, the country began looking at how to make new greenfield communities more compact and livable, trying to respond to some of the ill effects of sprawl and rapid growth. Left behind were the aging first-tier suburbs, the areas just outside the central city that were the first stop on the road to suburbanizing America. Now at a fork in the road, these metropolitan pivot points can continue to decline -- and encourage problems of congestion, high taxes, crime, and grime in the suburban neighborhoods where so many moved to escape the cities. Or, they can reinvent themselves and become stable communities that are economically competitive, socially vital, and fiscally sound. In his latest book, Hudnut paints a picture of the older, first-tier suburbs in which many of the nation's most critical issues -- education reform, immigration and diversity, economic restructuring, neighborhood planning, and social exclusion -- are played out on a daily basis. He focuses on the unique and substantial assets of these close-in communities and highlights the enthusiasm and commitment of the people who live, work, and play there. Drawing on actual examples from communities throughout America, Hudnut describes the strategies and solutions that have been implemented successfully by first-tier suburbs to revitalize themselves. These include a variety of policies and programs that nurture human capital, provide committed leadership, unleash the power of faith-based institutions, improve housing opportunities, work with community development corporations, preserve historic structures, promote economic development, and recognize the importance of urban design.