Urban Studies and Planning Program
2011 Samuel J. LeFrak Lecture by Jeff Faux
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Architecture Auditorium
Open to the public with reception to follow

 Jeff Faux is founding president and now distinguished fellow at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, DC. In this lecture, Dr. Faux links his interests in urban areas and the global economy to talk about the impact of the global economic downturn on cities. Many American analysts of globalization claim that the changes in technology and business have marginalized the economic importance of the nation-state. Instead, they say that networks of talented people operating out of global cities now create the world’s wealth. They argue that the Federal government should generally get out of the way and allow the global market to operate freely.

Dr. Faux will discuss why he thinks the above argument was always overstated and extremely class-biased. Now, he says, the financial crisis is revealing that the argument was based on the illusions created by an unsustainable credit bubble. There will be a dramatic decline in the capacity of our American nation-state to maintain needed public investments and what is left of the New Deal safety net. In his talk, Dr. Faux will address this question:  Will cities be able to replace this support from the wealth they earn in the global economy?  

Dr. Faux has a rich publication record, beginning in 1971 when he completed CDCs: New Hope for the Inner City for the Twentieth Century Fund Task Force on Community Development Corporations. One of his books, Rebuilding America (1984), was co-authored with UMD professor Gar Alperovitz. Dr. Fax’s most recent book is The Global Class War: How America’s Bipartisan Elite Lost Our Future (2006).

On the following day, Wednesday, September 28, Dr. Faux will host a seminar to discuss the issues raised during his presentation. The seminar, which is open to the public, will take place in the Architecture Building, Room 1213, from 10:30 a.m. to Noon. A light lunch will follow.

Directions and parking: http://arch.umd.edu/about_the_school/location/directions.cfm
For further information contact Jim Cohen (jimcohen@umd.edu) or 301-405-6795.

Sponsored by the Samuel J. and Ethel Lefrak Foundation
 

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