Back to the Future explores new urbanism and urban revitalization within the context of public policy trends such as regional governance and the role of nonprofits.

The purpose of this book is to provide students and professionals alike with a context for examining the beginnings of new urbanism, as well as to illustrate how this movement has become a nationwide trend in response to changing demographics and the real estate crisis.

The book primarily utilizes comparative case studies within both inner city and suburban areas. While a growing number of articles have been written on both suburban and inner city new urbanist communities, few books have connected new urbanism to its roots in historical preservation communities.

This book distinguishes itself from other works by assessing the commonalities between greenfield (suburban) new urbanist development and inner city (redevelopment) projects.