The New Urban Crisis

malls. Instead, I told them, enduring success in the new people-driven, place-based economy turned on doing the smaller things that made cities great places to live and work—things like making sure there were walkable, pedestrian-friendly streets, bike lanes, parks, exciting art and music scenes, and vibrant areas where people could gather in cafés and restaurants. Cities needed more than a competitive business climate; they also needed a great people climate that appealed to individuals and families of all types—single, married, with children or without, straight or gay.

I travelled across the world, taking this message to mayors, economic developers, and city leaders who still believed that the surest way to grow their cities was to lure big companies with tax subsidies and other incentives, or to dazzle people with downtown mega-projects like stadiums and outdoo

hat I called the “3 Ts of economic development”: technology, talent, and tolerance