The wealth of cities

the long version

In The Wealth of Cities Norquist chronicles the decay of urban centers through a half-century of ill-conceived housing, education, crime, welfare, transportation, and environmental policies that have systematically undermined the natural advantages of cities as centers of commerce, innovation, and culture. At their worst, cities have become symbols of excess, crime, and poverty, and urban politics has been reduced to an exercise in cronyism and the art of securing federal handouts to subsidize development and social programs. But the urban spirit has not been broken. Against a backdrop of bloated and inefficient bureaucracy, Norquist showcases the efforts of pioneering communities that have decided to take the future into their own hands. Norquist draws from these successful experiments, as well as his own political experience, to offer a wide array of strategies and recommendations designed to sustain urban vitality. An ardent supporter of market-based approaches, he advocates programs that introduce competition for public works contracts; encourage real work, not "work-fare"; and guarantee school choice for everyone.