Abstract
Examines the success or failure of implementing some of the thirty-three strategies developed for the Fiscal Austerity & Urban Innovation Project. Creative innovations applauded include joint agreements to form a tree-buying consortium, contracting out various services such as trash removal & water meter inspection, & shared savings programs to reduce energy costs. Cities have been forced to innovate due to the changing revenue structure featuring cuts in state & federal grants, decreases in property taxes, increases in user fees, & new forms of borrowing that produce greater amounts of debt. It is argued that dramatic innovations do not require affluent residents, but demand top staff involvement & encouragement. 2 Tables, 60 References. M. Greenberg