Politics of Downtown Development: Dynamic Political Cultures in San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

Through an insightful comparison of effective protest in San Francisco and ineffective protest in Washington, D.C., Stephen McGovern examines how citizens - even those lacking financial resources - have sought to control their own urban environments. His analysis reveals that grassroots activists seeking broad changes in land-use policy are more likely to prevail if they can transform the local political culture through their own deliberate efforts.