A Case for a National Urban Policy

Abstract

Growth of the federal urban presence has not occurred as expected: National economic development programs have increased urban and regional economic rivalry; national redistributive programs usually have failed to check the political consequences of this constraint in local welfare politics. In effect, federal urban policy has govemmentalized the pressures in the urban economy that discourage local government activism in aiding the disadvantaged. A strategy is outlined for reforming national urban policy so that this dilemma can be resolved.