Schools and Urban Revitalization ─ Rethinking Institutions and Community Development

"New research in community development shows that institutions matter. Where the private sector disinvests from the inner city, public and nonprofit institutions step in and provide engines to economic revitalization and promote greater equity in society. Schools and Urban Revitalization collects emerging research in this field, with special interest in new school-neighborhood partnerships that lead today's most vibrant policy responses to urban blight. Adapted from a recent issue of Community Development, Patterson and Silverman collect some of the emerging literature on anchor institutions like schools, universities, churches and cultural centers, and offer a new paradigm for neighbourhood revitalization, exploring its advantages and challenges. While many scholars have come to criticize the "meds and eds" model of organizing around schools and hospitals, the essays show the unique role public schools play in urban revitalization. With case studies from across the United States, including large and mid-sized cities, Schools and Urban Revitalization shows the vital role that schools play in bridging citizens to larger institutions, and more importantly, connecting disenfranchised residents to society. "--

Kelly L. Patterson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at the University at Buffalo. She holds a Ph.D. in Urban Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a Masters in Public Affairs from the University at Buffalo, and a B.A. in Sociology from North Carolina Central University. Her research focuses on rent vouchers, fair housing, discrimination, social policy, and the African American experience. She has published in Housing Policy Debate, Housing and Society, Journal of Black Psychology, and other peer reviewed journals. She is co-editor of Fair and Affordable Housing in the US: Trends, Outcomes, Future Directions (Brill, 2011).

Robert Mark Silverman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University at Buffalo. He holds a Ph.D. in Urban Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He also holds a B.S. in Political Science and a Masters in Public Administration from Arizona State University. His research focuses on community development, the nonprofit sector, community-based organizations, education reform, and inequality in inner city housing markets. He has published in Urban Affairs Review, Urban Studies, National Civic Review, Action Research, Community Development, Journal of Black Studies, Journal of Social History, and other peer reviewed journals. He is co-editor of Fair and Affordable Housing in the US: Trends, Outcomes, Future Directions (Brill, 2011).