Why Washington History Matters: Lessons from U Street reviews the importance of U Street for Washington, D.C. history, arguing that the exploration of local history can expand our knowledge of larger questions of urban life.

In 2008, for the first time in history, more than half of all human beings lived in cities. Although megacities with populations over 10 million, such as Tokyo, Mexico City, and São Paulo, are widely recognized, most urban growth is taking place in so-called medium-size cities of between 1 million and 5 million.This reality changes how policymakers in every sphere can pursue their goals.