These attempts are often more costly than beneficial. The quality of inner city schools stands in stark contrast to that of the suburbs, reflected in contrasting growth patterns. As more wealthy, predominantly white, households have suburbanized, they have left behind poorer, predominantly minority ethnic and racial groups, in urban neighborhoods with lower tax revenues and crumbling infrastructure. Historic Preservation Thinning cities contain significant buildings and streetscapes that embody local and regional history and culture. Preservation of these resources can galvanize urban revitalization efforts and restore civic pride to inner city neighborhoods.
Historic sites can also act as magnets for tourism.
The Environment Thinning cities are potential havens for environmental hazards. Residents in these destabilized neighborhoods are often left with choices that pit their own survival against community revival. The complex web of social, political, and economic forces lead to lax environmental standards and their enforcement. Governance Municipal and regional jurisdictional fragmentation contributes to thinning cities and thinning regions. A fractious and competitive relationship exists between central cities, inner ring suburbs, and the growing suburbs of the outer ring for tax revenues and other resources.