In spite of the gravity of the problem of mass unemployment and its periodic recurrence in industrial societies, few scientific studies have been undertaken which serve to define the impact of plant closings on workers, families, and the community; to evaluate individual group, or community responses to closings; and to offer suggestions for the future. Shutdown at Youngstown meets this need. It presents the findings of a multidisciplinary, scientific study of the closing of the steel mills in Youngstown in 1977 which put 5,000 persons out of work. Research reported in the text is based on personal interviews, social indicator data, and data from health and human service agencies. The authors conclude by developing a public policy for dealing with plant closings and the crisis of mass unemployment.

In a climate of scarce financial resources, where federal and state fiscal assistance to cities has dwindled quantitatively, all civic leaders must somehow find a way to provide long-term vision, a good business climate, and diverse economic development planning strategies to grow their cities' economies. Such plans should be strategically flexible and adaptable to change, yet strong enough to withstand the whirlwinds and vicissitudes of the constantly changing national and global economies. Youngstown, Ohio, achieved its success through the visionary leadership of its city mayors, who partnered with local University leadership, tapping into their invaluable assets of knowledge capital and technology transfer capacities, while at the same time mobilizing public support from labor, businesses, foundations, and other entrepreneurial stakeholders to provide assistance with the city's economic recovery. City in Transition is a landmark testimonial assessment of tried and true economic development strategies of Youngstown mayors' visionary leaderships to revive and grow the city's declining economy following its steel mill closings in the late 1970s. Economic development strategies together with city-size reclassification into a smaller post-industrial city, created a classic leadership story of foresight that transcended the city's economic regeneration per se, to garner both national recognition and international attention.