Exploring an effort to revitalize the downtown of the city of Fresno—an agricultural town in the Central Valley of California.
James Fallows presents Fresno as a case study of a city attempting "to rebuild and revitalize what is now its very troubled downtown…" To do so, Fallows evaluates a number of points, including "Downtown as bellwether," the "Stages of downtown recovery," the "Background source of trouble," and the "need for a public champion."
Fallows notes that Fresno is positioned in interesting, and uncertain, points relative to any of the narrative arcs described in the article.
The article is the latest installment of the third season of the "American Futures" special report project. The homepage for American Futures shows the other communities the project has explored around the country.
FULL STORY: Stages of a Downtown Comeback: Fresno Begins the Long Climb
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