Suchergebnisse

"How shall we be governed in an atomic war? Who will make the decisions for defense and survival, and what compulsions will support their peremptory execution? What will be the measure of our cherished liberties?" Clinton L. Rossiter, the distinguished authority on the Constitution, asked these questions at the height of the cold war, a time when relations with the Soviet Union had become very troubled and, at home, red-baiting political campaigns, intolerance, fear, and repression had destroyed much of the liberalism of the New Deal.

The activities of the US Nat'l Resources Planning Board during the period 1940 -- 41, during which the Board exp'ed with new programs for Ur redevelopment, are examined. It is asserted that the writings of Louis Wirth shaped the thinking on Ur policies. 6 demonstration exp's were authorized to test a new approach--treating the city as a unit composed of soc, econ, & cultural aspects which were to be integrated in the planning process; the emphasis was on local action & responsibility. The resources of educ'al instit's & gov agencies were employed. The exp at its worst failed in Tacoma, Wash, where the leadership problem in the community was poorly understood. Elsewhere, the record was mixed. In Buffalo, local initiative failed because of a disregard for the racial problem. While the Board's city-planning exp's & area studies were not a total success, however, they were not the failures which New Deal critics thought them to be. The progressive planning procedure had accepted the functional interdependency of city & suburb, acknowledging that the basic problems of the core area originated in large measure in the flight of the Mc to the fringe. "Action for Cities" forced planners to look beyond the exclusively physical dimension of Ur planning. New models for federal aid to the cities were tried out. However, the community participation aspects were weakened by various factors. A pattern of the use of federal funds to expand housing for the Mc & the Uc rather than the Lc emerged. The promising work of the Board was shortlived & the nation forfeited a sterling opportunity to undertake the physical, soc, econ, & spiritual reconstruction of US cities. M. Maxfield.