May 16, 2002 | Read Time: 1 minute
Putting Faith In Neighborhoods: Making Cities Work Through Grassroots Citizenship
by Stephen Goldsmith
In this book, Stephen Goldsmith, former mayor of Indianapolis, describes how his efforts to revitalize local neighborhoods might be copied and used as a national model.
Mr. Goldsmith, who served as mayor from 1992 to 1999, explains how Indianapolis “served as a laboratory of citizenship” by rebuilding its urban neighborhoods through efforts that involved faith-based and secular organizations.
He begins by discussing the challenges associated with infusing residents with a sense of personal responsibility and civic duty, then devotes the majority of the book to outlining and describing strategies to help make a neighborhood stronger.
One of Mr. Goldsmith’s major points is that such undertakings are more successful if led by concerned and motivated citizens than by government-run programs.
“I saw firsthand that urban renewal begins with people helping people and claiming responsibility for the future of their neighborhoods,” he writes.
The book concludes with case studies of three of the eight neighborhoods that Mr. Goldsmith’s administration focused on in its revitalization efforts.
Publisher: Hudson Institute, P.O. Box 1020, Noblesville, Ind. 46061; (888) 554-1325; fax (317) 913-2392; http://www.hudson.org; 200 pages; $19.95; I.S.B.N. 1-55813-128-0.
