'New Urban Crisis' discussion explores if Nashville is in one and how to solve it

• The Tennessean is hosting book discussion around Richard Florida's "The New Urban Crisis" on June 3.
• Space is limited; register at discussion.tennessean.com.

Major cities and metropolitan areas across the nation are witnessing a tremendous growth in prosperity that is mainly benefiting the affluent.

Meanwhile, service-class, working-class and low-income people are being marginalized.

It is a phenomenon that is taking place in progressive cities, like, but not limited to, New York and Los Angeles.

Academic and author Richard Florida of the University of Toronto calls it “The New Urban Crisis,” which happens to be the name of his new book, identifying the problems and offering solutions.

Florida’s book will be the prism through which The Tennessean will be exploring the next part of the monthly “Costs of Growth and Change in Nashville” series about housing affordability, economic opportunity and inequity, which appears the last Sunday of every month. The question that will be addressed: Is Nashville in an urban crisis?

Certainly, symptoms are there: Escalating home prices, “creatives” clustering in the urban core, the displacement especially of renters and the “less advantaged” from near the downtown to the outskirts of the community, and the growing concentration of poverty.

As part of this effort The Tennessean in partnership with the Nashville Public Library and Lipscomb University’s College of Leadership and Public Service will be hosting on Saturday, June 3, a book discussion around “The New Urban Crisis: How Our Cities Are Increasing Inequality, Deepening Segregation, and Failing the Middle Class-and What We Can Do About It.”

The event is free and open to the public, but we ask that participants purchase or borrow the book and be prepared to discuss it. Also, space is limited, so please reserve your spot by registering at: http://discussion.tennessean.com. You will find more information there about the event.

David Plazas is the deputy opinion and engagement director for the USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee and opinion and engagement editor for The Tennessean. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.