This paper focuses upon the social and political consequences of rapid growth in cities outside the regions of traditional economic development in the US. We argue that this growth has taken place despite a number of broadly-defined environmental costs. For the most part, these costs have been transfered to low-income residents, or passed to other levels of government, as these cities have functioned as growth machines. A slowdown in economic development, plus contractions within federal expenditures are uniting to pose serious problems for these cities; we examine how the growth machines will function, and consider the implications for future federal urban policies.
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