In his lecture last night, Grogan focused on four major trends: increasing numbers of grassroots organizations, the rebirth of inner city businesses, the decline in crime and the reform of the welfare state.
Grogan said a great deal of the credit for progress in these areas goes to public and private investment in inner-city rebuilding.
"Puny" grassroots efforts targeted at small community problems have "piled on one another" to create a general revival. As people begin to feel safer, retailers, small business owners and banks begin to return to neighborhoods.
In parallel with these local initiatives, the government has dismantled the "social disaster" of the welfare state, ending the dole, reforming public housing projects and changing education policies, all of which Grogan said contributed to depressing the inner-city.
The book's message is one that Grogan said runs against to conventional wisdom.
"I hope the book can counter the ...pessimism broad in the land," Grogan said.
The rosy picture was just what many of those at the reception wanted to hear.
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