Downtown: Its Rise and Fall, 1880-1950

Winner of a Lewis Mumford Prize: "Extremely engaging reading for those interested in the history of cities and urban experience." —Booklist

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, ...