Our Cities: Their Role in the National Economy

work by Wirth

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July 1, 2026

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Our Cities: Their Role in the National Economy (1937) was a significant early attempt to establish a national urban policy grounded in social science research. Authored by Louis Wirth, a pioneering sociologist in the study of urban problems, the work was produced for the U.S. National Resources Committee. Wirth, a professor at the University of Chicago, was known for blending empirical research with theory and contributed to sociology's professional development. His other notable works include The Ghetto and the influential article "Urbanism as a Way of Life".1

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Louis Wirth
…was the chief author of Our Cities: Their Role in the National Economy (1937). Written in the name of the U.S. National Resources Committee, this volume was an important early attempt to outline a national urban policy based on the findings of the social sciences. He also wrote The Ghetto…
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…was the chief author of Our Cities: Their Role in the National Economy (1937). Written in the name of the U.S. National Resources Committee, this volume was an important early attempt to outline a national urban policy based on the findings of the social sciences. He also wrote The Ghetto…
Read More