This paper provides an account of recent urban change and policy initiatives in the US. The paper describes how processes of global change have impacted upon economic activity and social life in the US, leading to the decline and isolation of inner-city areas. The urban, housing and community development policies of the Clinton administration, which aim to enable these communities to rejoin the economic mainstream, are then discussed. These strategies include: tackling homelessness addressing the problems of distressed public housing communities ; the expansion of affordable housing (with an emphasis on home-ownership); opening housing markets to all Americans regardless of race and ethnic origins; and, increasing the economic opportunities of inner-city populations.
