Americas new downtowns : revitalization or reinvention Introduction: The downtown imperative and the need for comparative studies 1. The American downtown: the myth of a golden age 2. The evolution of the American downtown 1850 2 3. The downtown stage: physical site street morphology and civic space 4. The traditional downtown functions: offices retailing hotels and convention centers 5. Downtown expands: major attractions historic districts residential neighborhoods and transportation options 6. Ranking downtowns: toward a model of spatial organization