"Cities generate close to 85 percent of US GDP and are hubs of innovation and growth. However, structural factors--such as the prioritization of businesses and the wealthy, a long-standing federal bias against cities, state government hostilities toward municipal governments, and structural racism interwoven throughout nearly every pillar of society--have been left to generate and reproduce poverty and inequality in metropolitan areas across the country. Despite driving the growth of the country, new research shows that the inequality infecting cities dampens the economic growth they could generate, further entrenching that inequality. In Going it Alone, McGahey draws from his rich and varied experience in the field to explore what's gone wrong and what's gone right for cities, including detailed policy prescriptions for cities, regions, states, and the federal government. The book utilizes three in-depth case studies of Detroit, New York City, and Los Angeles, exploring what can be learned from each. The final section of the book focuses on possible solutions and where American cities can go in a post-Covid world"--