Nine essays, originally presented at an interdisciplinary conference sponsored by the University of Chicago, address problems of the changing inner cities of older, industrial metropolitan areas. An introduction reviews important theories of urban development, and the impact of changing technology and racial composition. Part one includes an essay on the increasing isolation of inner city minority groups, and the declining economic opportunities for unskilled, blue collar workers in the inner city. A second essay discusses the gentrification of some urban areas. Part two discusses patterns of racial transition in neighborhoods; the growing urban underclass of unemployable, minority poor; and patterns of ghettoization and suburbanization, then proposes alternative policy responses. Part three focuses on policy responses to the problems. The first essay discusses the link between transportation planning and central-city decline; the second, the apparent rise in crime rates along with the cities' and federal government's responses; the third, fiscal problems of Northeastern cities compared with those of Southwestern cities. The final essay surveys recent trends in large American cities, the role of political forces in their transformation, and possible remedies for cities and their increasingly poor, minority populations. (MCK)