Despite long standing efforts going back to the turn of the century when city planning and other reform movements emerged, the poverty and social problems of distressed urban neighbourhoods in United States cities persist. This book looks at the progress that has taken place in many of the country's devastated areas. The book highlights examples of achievements made through community organizations and residents.

Introduction - W Dennis Keating
Federal Policy and Poor Urban Neighborhoods - W Dennis Keating
Atlanta - Larry Keating
Peoplestown - Resilience and Tenacity versus Institutional Hostility
Camden, New Jersey - Robert A Catlin
Urban Decay and the Absence of Public-Private Partnerships
Chicago - Robert Giloth
Community Building on Chicagös West Side - North Lawndale 1960-1997
Cleveland - Norman Krumholz
The Hough and Central Neighborhoods - Empowerment Zones and Other Urban Policies
Detroit - Mittie O Chandler
Staying the Course - Detroit¿s Struggle to Revitalize the Inner City
East St Louis, Illinois - Kenneth Reardon
Promoting Community Development through Empowerment Planning
Los Angeles - Ali Modarres
Borders to Poverty - Empowerment Zones and Spatial Politics of Development
Miami - Dennis E Gale
The Overtown Neighborhood - A Generation of Revitalization Strategies Gone Awry
New York - Tom Angotti
Challenges Facing Neighborhoods in Distress
Future Prospects for Distressed Urban Neighborhoods - W Dennis Keating and Norman Krumholz