Providence, the Renaissance city
By: Francis J. Leazes, Mark T. Motte.
Contributors: Motte, Mark T., 1962-
Publisher: Northeastern University Press
Published: 2004
Place of publication: Boston
Language: eng
Number of pages: 309
Subjects: Urban renewal -- Rhode Island -- Providence -- History -- 20th century.; City planning -- Rhode Island -- Providence -- History -- 20th century.; Urban policy -- Rhode Island -- Providence -- History -- 20th century.; Providence (R.I.) -- Social conditions -- 20th century.; Providence (R.I.) -- Politics and government -- 20th century.; Providence (R.I.) -- Economic conditions -- 20th century.
Description: "This portrayal of urban rebirth reveals the ideas, opportunities, people, and projects behind the twenty-five-year Providence renaissance. Laying the historical, economic, and political groundwork, Francis J. Leazes Jr. and Mark T. Motte describe in detail the many disparate events that came together to transform Providence's downtown into one of the nation's most attractive urban environments at a time when other nearby former industrial centers continued to decay despite valiant renewal efforts. Through extensive interviews with elected officials, civil servants, entrepreneurs, and citizen activists, a complete picture takes shape for the first time of the myriad actors, complex goals, and intergovernmental cooperation involved in developing such lauded successes as the new Capital Center, the Providence Place mall, and the award-winning light sculpture, WaterFire." "This book will be valuable reading for policymakers, administrators, political scientists, urban planners, and all concerned citizens of our nation's cities."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 267-295) and index.
Table of contents: title: Providence, a Renaissance city by accident or by design?; title: Machines, elites, and the garbage can; title: Providence, the place and its people; title: Renaissance planning, partnerships, and people; title: Moving rails and earth : the creation of Capital Center; title: Roads and rivers; title: The Providence Place Mall : coming on the agenda; title: Renaissance troubles : Providence Place, the Rhode Island Convention Center/Westin Hotel, 1990/1994; title: The coming of Providence Place : 1994/1997; title: Patriot Stadium : a Renaissance fumble?; title: Measuring Renaissance policy; title: Opportunities, people, policy.