Some cities have grown in notable spurts. Some of these cities were new; others have revived after decaying. Cities’ cells, like ours, metabolize and can refresh themselves constantly. Cities need not die like us. They can continue this cycle of renewal forever, when people remodel buildings and clear and renew sites. This can happen even after periods of sickness and senility. Given the will, it also takes some skill with public policy. We can learn the skill from the history of growing and reviving cities.
Georgist Policies and Population Growth in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Other Cities, 1890-1930,” Robert Schalkenbach Foundation, 2006.
