Whitmire: It's time to look at cities
By Elizabeth Tedesco | May 8, 1996Former Houston Mayor Katherine Whitmire spoke last night about the need for cities, suburbs and "edge-cities" to work together to meet the challenges that face 20th century urban America. About 45 people attended the speech, titled "The City: Preparing for the Next Millennium," in Room 2 of the Rockefeller Center. "As we approach this new millennium, open a new chapter in history, it may be time to take a look at what's happening in our large cities," Whitmire said. She said cities today are facing serious problems, including a crumbling infrastructure, crime and homelessness. "The deterioration that has occurred among major cities, the poverty and homelessness, the gang and drug related problems, raise questions about the value of continuing to invest in that kind of infrastructure," Whitmire said. She said the "flight to the suburbs" is a major factor in cities' deterioration. With further cutbacks in the federal programs that fund cities, a central question is how to develop investment for their recovery, she said. Local and regional organization and leadership are key, she said. "Edge cities," those cities located in areas on the outskirts of larger cities, are crucial to this development, she said. "The suburbs, the edge cities, and the central cities are all a part of the solution," Whitmire continued.