From 'Donut' to Dynamism: how the world's cities fell back into favour

In the 1980s and 90s the talk was all about the 'problems' of major cities across the world. Snarled with traffic congestion, scarred by urban violence and the sense of threat, and with retailers, commerce - and residents - fleeing for the outer suburbs and rural-urban fringe, the future of urban living seemed bleak. The term 'donut city' was conjured up to describe cities like Detroit, where declining manufacturing meant those who could were buying themselves out of the city leaving the poor, the ageing and the unemployed at the declining centre of a once thriving car-making city. But then something changed. Some common targets were tackled vigorously (reducing crime and criminal gang culture), whilst others were individual to each different city. The result has been the rebranding of cities as highly desirable places to live, work and socialise, and the reinvigoration of urban living.