The widening disparity between wealth and poverty is the major obstacle to racial conciliation in the United States. Organized labor is the most important vehicle for challenging the widening gap between rich and poor to work for racial and economic justice. (SLD)

The homeless are becoming increasingly female, non-White, and youthful. The problem is a housing shortage complicated by poverty as shown in data from 12 cities where declines in low-income housing accompanied increases in the number of poor people. More housing must be provided even before other social ills are addressed. (VM)

Schools are trying to do too many good things simultaneously. To improve, they need to simplify, reduce the overload on students and staff, and concentrate on a small group of key ideas. Instituting magnet districts, each with a separate theme, might eliminate confusion in trying out new ideas. (SLD)

Examines the effect of community development projects on Detroit (Michigan) over the past decade. Concludes that community development has failed to increase the number of jobs available and has contributed to neighborhood deterioration. (FMW)

Argues that Neighborhood Development Organization (NDO) staffs and volunteers have a faulty understanding of the political economies of poor urban communities, and have adopted a free market orientation. Recommends an alternative "organizing-driven" model of community development. (FMW)

Advocates of the "new realism" in urban revitalization argue that effective urban policy involves attracting industries and white-collar taxpayers while improving public management and reducing public services. If this approach is not counterbalanced by socially conscious interests, cities may soon have little room for many of their present…

Schools cannot solve society's ills, but they can be held accountable for teaching academic subjects and developing thinking skills. Parents and teachers must be integral parts of any planned reforms. Excellence in urban schools is achieved by focusing on academic achievement, encouraging parent involvement, and professional renewal. (SLD)

In spite of prevailing opinion, U.S. cities are alive and well and continue to play a major role in the nation's social fabric. The federal policies of recent years must be reversed to keep cities functioning as the place where the United States reimagines itself and learns to manage difference. (SLD)

There is little likelihood of significant new funding for cities. The future may require real decentralization in the ways we live, with fundamental restructuring of political and economic institutions. A system of communities structured locally around new institutions and supported by regional planning might sustain a different culture. (SLD)