Trump, Carson, and 'Inner Cities'

Both during the campaign and his victory speech, President-elect Trump referenced the troubled conditions of 'inner cities.' A Tufts professor offers advice for the new administration if it really wants to help.

1 minute read

December 11, 2016, 5:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Justin B. Hollander pens a guest column for the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, offering advice for Ben Carson, selected by the Trump Administration to serve as secretary of the Department of Housing and urban Development. According to Hollander, "it is worth considering what it might mean for President-elect Trump's election-night promise that 'we are going to fix our inner cities.'"

Hollander's advice is broken down into three suggestions:

  1. Define the 'inner city' and it's problem well.
  2. To "fix" the inner cities, focus on quality-of-life issues not economic development.
  3. Implement plans through community-based processes.

Implied especially in the first recommendation is that both Trump and Carson have homework to do if they really want to understand the issues facing 'inner cities,' not to mention crafting policies that improve on the broken parts of the status quo.  

Tuesday, December 6, 2016 in Cleveland Plain-Dealer

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

View of residential street in Los Angeles with palm trees and hazy city in distance.

Rebuilding Smarter: How LA County Is Guiding Fire-Ravaged Communities Toward Resilience

Los Angeles County is leading a coordinated effort to help fire-impacted communities rebuild with resilience by providing recovery resources, promoting fire-wise design, and aligning reconstruction with broader sustainability and climate goals.

1 hour ago - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Entrance sign for San Jose-Santa Clara Regional wastewater treatment facility.

When Borders Blur: Regional Collaboration in Action

As regional challenges outgrow city boundaries, “When Borders Blur” explores how cross-jurisdictional collaboration can drive smarter, more resilient urban planning, sharing real-world lessons from thriving partnerships across North America.

3 hours ago - * A Placemaking Journal

Rendering of Penrose Roundabout in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Is Expanding its Network of Roundabouts

Roundabouts are widely shown to decrease traffic speed, reduce congestion, and improve efficiency.

5 hours ago - WHYY