Savannah Renaissance

About this book

"This is the story of how one city and a handful of dedicated citizens turned a genteel antebellum city into one of Americas greatest urban success stories. Having survived more than 260 years of wars hurricanes and the Great Depression Savannah was a prime target for a more subtle and elusive enemythe threat of losing its identity as a result of poorly conceived civic projects that placed no emphasis on retention of the classical city plan and its component architectural elements. This account shows how a few citizens worked individually and in newly formed organizations to redefine what they viewed as inappropriate urban planning for their city. It is also a story of the early days of the historic preservation movement when few people valued the worth of a city by its historic and ethnic neighborhoods and the ability of these historic districts to create an urban environment that was economically viable."