Hosting a major convention -- as Boston will do when it hosts the 2004 Democratic National Convention -- is no longer an "all-around win that civic leaders portray it to be."
"The experience has been much the same in cities similar in size and economic foundation to Boston. While hosting the convention inevitably costs more than first estimated - particularly for security - the tangible economic returns and boost in self-image are described as well worth it. But the economic impact is not evenly distributed through all the layers of the metropolitan region, and the civic momentum that the event generates cannot completely erase conflicts that are decades old... For some, all the trophy projects and the attention lavished on being a ''convention city'' contrasted uncomfortably with failing schools and deteriorated neighborhoods beyond the city center."
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Conventions don't ensure a windfall
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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