Episode 9

Big

Thinking big has been a hallmark of remaking cities since the turn of the 20th century. Cities are adjusting their economic bases through developing former industrial sites, placing bets on new industries and, in some cases, relying on visionary leaders to re-invent themselves.

Big Lots

Often former railyards, many cities have large, underdeveloped tracts of land on the edges of their downtowns. We evaluate how well three of these big lots are contributing to their respective communities.

Seaport: Boston
South Lake Union: Seattle
Water Street: Tampa

Big Moves

Some cities are re-tooling themselves to adjust to a more knowledge-based economy while working to preserve their traditional roles. We look at how three cities are addressing this challenge.

Trading Places: Chicago
Forging Ahead: Pittsburgh
To Tech or Not to Tech: San Francisco

Big Movers

Individuals and entities are transforming a handful of cities through enormous investments concentrated in their local communities. We drop in on three examples of present-day patronage.

Monopoly Board: Detroit
Big Shoes to Fill: Las Vegas
Church and State: Salt Lake City