Growth and Convergence in Metropolitan America

Much of the contemporary urban policy literature is focused on particular cities, examining differences between urban and suburban areas. Pack (business, public policy, and real estate, the Wharton School, U. of Pennsylvania) contends that comparison of regions is also necessary for understanding disparities of wealth and population. She analyzes a data set of 277 metropolitan regions in the United States, exploring income, poverty, unemployment rates, and educational levels between 1960 and 1990. She finds that within regions there is a general convergence among levels of urban welfare, which suggests that those setting urban policy need to consider addressing regions as a whole, rather than coming up with individual policies for each city. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Janet Rothenberg Pack is professor of business and public policy and real estate at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.