Abstract
Bernard Frieden and Lynne Sagalyn provide an in-depth analysis of several public-private partnerships that have resulted in several large downtown retail redevelopment projects. These projects were dependent in part on an improvement in underlying factors such as the revitalization of the downtown office market. But, more important, these projects owe their existence to innovative entrepreneurial urban policy. This essay shows how current city policies evolved from the experience gained from redevelopment efforts launched under federal auspices, including Great Society programs. At the same time the cities' activities represent a clear departure from past economic practice. A totally new kind of relationship has emerged between the public and private sectors, characterized by joint decision-making and shared risk-taking.