Downtown: Its Rise and Fall, 1880†"1950

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 general readers interested in American cities and American history

The business district: downtown in the late nineteenth century -- Derailing the subways: the politics of rapid transit -- The sacred skyline: the battle over height limits -- The central business district: downtown in the 1920s -- The specter of decentralization: downtown during the Great Depression and World War II -- Wishful thinking: downtown and the automotive revolution -- Inventing blight: downtown and the origins for urban redevelopment -- Just another business district? Downtown in the mid twentieth century

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 general readers interested in American cities and American history.

Intro -- Contents -- Introduction -- 1. The Business District: Downtown in the Late Nineteenth Century -- 2. Derailing the Subways: The Politics of Rapid Transit -- 3. The Sacred Skyline: The Battle over Height Limits -- 4. The Central Business District: Downtown in the 1920s -- 5. The Specter of Decentralization: Downtown During the Great Depression and World War II -- 6. Wishful Thinkings -- Downtown and the Automotive Revolution -- 7. Inventing Blight: Downtown and the Origins of Urban Redevelopment -- 8. Just Another Business District? Downtown in the Mid Twentieth Century -- Epilogue -- Notes -- Acknowledgments -- Index.