whole greater than the sum of its parts--the urban center begins to appear more and more uninhabitable.
Anderson (1990) uses the apt term "old heads" to typify those long-term residents who were in the urban center before gentrification, and who have been able to remain on, despite an increasingly lower standard of living. Such "old timers" can remember when people had jobs, respectability, and pride in their community.
Too many livelihoods were lost as jobs left the urban center for greener pastures in the "problem-free" suburbs, however. The loss of individual revenue, corporate tax revenue, and residential property tax revenue have all contributed to the ghettoization of the inner city. Such is the common theme running through the last fifty years. The city, once vibrant and self-sustaining, has become blighted beyond regeneration.
Anderson (1990) does not just wallow in dire predictions, although few long-term positive signs point to hope for secondary generations. He strongly maintains that education should be given a higher priority. In his words, "Government and . . . corporation
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