The riots in Los Angeles and the flooding of Chicago’ central business district
are stark symbols of the neglect American cities have suffered over the past twenty-
five years. But it would be easy to draw the wrong conclusion from these events.
Cities do not need charity because they are old and falling apart, nor does the nation
owe them some kind of moral debt. Furthermore, cities do not need band-aid
programs to avert angry mobs from burning downtown office buildings, much less
their own neighborhood stores.