I recently started reading ‘Fixing Broken Cities’ by John Kromer and so far have been enthralled with a great deal of the subject matter of the book. The book documents the revilization strategies put in place to help prevent the continual decline of Philadelphia and help restore the city’s urban environment. The concepts in the book may not directly apply to all cities, but certainly applies to many of the troubled North American centers who’s major focus throughout the early and mid 20th century was manufacturing and have since suffered in a more service and white-collared economy. John Kromer certainly is able to go into great deal about the implementation strategies. Chapter 2, in particular is a fantastic read on perhaps one of the greatest urban renewal projects: the revitilization of a cities downtown. Although the book is not a simple read for an amateur urban enthusiast, it’s still a read I highly recommend.
