Volume 4, Number 1 - Urban Economic Development - Spring 2000

Table of Contents 

Message from the Editor

We are proud to present the sixth issues of the Chicago Policy Review. During the past year our review has taken steps to implement a peer review process. This process will not only help to assure high quality in the work we publish, but it will also enable us to engage in dialogue with experts across the county and across disciplines as they espouse their recommendations for dealing with the chief concerns and challenges confronting public policy research.

As public policy schools mature and continue to define their places in the larger scholarly and public policy communities, it is our hope that reviews such as ours will play an important role in promoting high-quality exchange among public policy scholars. We also aim to foster a more active discourse between academics, public officials, and the larger educated public. To this end we have placed an emphasis on the inclusion of policy recommendations in the articles we publish. It is often in these recommendations that academics and practitioners find a common ground for discussion.

This issue addresses Urban Economic Development. Topics within this area include ÒbrownfieldÓ redevelopment, housing issues, development boundaries, and economic development incentives such as empowerment zones. We are also proud to include, for the first time, two book reviews. Our hope is to provide a small but steady stream of reviews of important and timely work.

We are pleased to present contributions from a range of authors, including distinguished academics, current and former public office holders, practitioners in government and private organizations, and two papers written by public policy students at the Irving B. Harris Graduate School.

Thank you for your interest. We hope you find the work here both informative and thought provoking. As always, we welcome your comments, suggestions, and submissions.

Hans Detlefsen
Editor-in-Chief

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the administration of the Harris School and Irving B. Harris himself for their continued support, both financial and otherwise, of the Chicago Policy Review. Their generous support and commitment have made our endeavor possible. We would like to thank the dean of the Harris School, Robert Michael, whose support allows the journal to improve and grow. We are also deeply indebted to Madhu Anand, J.R. Dempsey, Nancy OÕConnor, and Joel Williams for their ongoing dedication to the success of the journal. The Review could not succeed without the stabilizing support of such friends and the guidance they provide to the journalÕs new staff every year.

We are indebted to Professor Don Coursey who had the vision to support the establishment of the journal four years ago. By agreeing to become our faculty advisor this year, he has shown that his believe in our enterprise has not faltered. Without his help this year, we would not have been able to accomplish as much as we did. We would like to thank the current dean of the Harris School, Robert Michael, whose support made it possible for the Review to grow. Many thanks also to Professor Glaser, Deputy Dean of the Harris School, who has offered invaluable editorial support and advice.

We want to express our gratitude to the Harris School faculty. We especially thank our faculty advisor, Don Coursey, whose high standards and insight leave their imprints on the Review year in and year out. His foresight and advice have been invaluable to the foundation and success of the journal.

The past two editions of the journal have benefited from the implementation of the peer review process. We wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the following individuals who have served as our peer reviewers this past year: Jacqueline Bhabha, H. Sterling Burnett, Tiffani Clark, Don Coursey, Margot Fahnestock, Michele Gambera, Maitreesh Ghatak, Charles Glaser, George Hemmens, Daniel Immergluck, D. Gale Johnson, Kathy Kim, and George Tolley.

Finally, I would like to personally thank this yearÕs team of editors and managers. Flexibility, vision, attention to detail, and diplomacy are but a few of their skills that have made this publication successful and rewarding. They have been committed leaders and dear friends. I am also especially thankful for the group of first year students who have recently joined our staff. Since their arrival last August they have gone beyond the call of duty to offer their time, talent, and creativity to help the journal succeed. Their ability to learn quickly and work with the team has made a significant impact. I am excited and grateful that such a capable group of leaders are committed to carrying on the torch.

Hans Detlefsen

Table of Contents

The Long-Run Fiscal Health of Central Cities: The Impact of Devolution
Howard Chernick and Andrew Reschovsky

The Production and Interpretation of Information in the Mortgage Loan Application Process
Guy Stuart

Brownfield Redevelopment in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Donald T. Cunningham, Jr.

The Market for Smart Growth
John Haugland

Strategic Investment and Economic Development in the United States
Federico Pe-a and John Parr

The Chicago Empowerment Zone: A Holistic Approach to Community Development in the Inner City
Stephanie Niccole Alexander and Hilda M. Rodriguez

The Externalities of Neighbors and the Role of Barriers in Urban Geography
Douglas S. Noonan

Book Reviews

Inside Game, Outside Game: Winning Strategies for Saving Urban America
Author: David Rusk
Brookings Institute (1999)
Mari Gallagher

The Corporate Practice of Medicine: Competition and Innovation in Health Care
Author: James C. Robinson
Brookings Institute (1999)
Barry S. Maram

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