Harvard VP Celebrates Debut of New Book

BOSTON--When Paul S. Grogan talks, Beantown listens.

More than 200 of the Harvard Vice President's closest friends assembled at the Boston Public Library last night for a lecture and cocktail party celebrating Grogan's new book.

The guest list read like a Boston Who's Who: Mayor Thomas M. Menino, President Neil L. Rudenstine, Bay Partners General Partner Chris Gabrielli, Globe columnist David Nyhan--and many of Boston's other most well-known citizens.

Because of its location at the Boston Public Library, the event was open to the public, but, as Grogan joked, it was unlikely that many in the crowd happened to stumble into the library while wandering around Back Bay.

The occasion for the celebrity gathering was Grogan's new book, Comeback Cities: A Blueprint for Urban Neighborhood Revival, which he co-authored with journalist Tony Proscio.

The book argues that in spite of persistent poverty, America's inner cities have become livable, safe and business-friendly over the last two decades.

Grogan argues that while people are still poor, big steps have been made towards recovery.

"The American inner city is rebounding--not just here and there, not just cosmetically, but fundamentally," he writes in the book.

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.

"The blueprint is right," said Boston Police Strategic Planning head James T. Jordan.

"A wonderful book, wonderful" said Bill Spring, vice chair of the Federal Reserve of Boston.

Only Menino--a close Grogan colleague who deeply respects his work--had any unkind words about the book.

"He quotes Rudy Guliani 20 times and me twice," he said.