Editor's Page

Urban development, public housing, the televised "Great Debates" of 1960 between Kennedy and Nixon, and Star Trek—yes, Captain Kirk, that show. Other than a twentieth-century focus, what do these things have in common? The development patterns of our cities and towns, how we consume our news, and understand the world around us bears the imprints of Kentuckians. This issue examines the national impact of our state in public housing policy and television programming consumed by millions of Americans every day.

A controversial war, domestic political upheaval, and outcries of the national media as biased and unable to report facts without a separate agenda. Sound familiar, like the past several years? Instead think Vietnam War, Nixon era, and the explosive golden age of television in disseminating news and programming. This thread of continuity runs throughout the article by Anthony Harkins on former NBC television executive Julian Goodman. Although a lesser-known news and television figure today, Harkins brings Goodman's story to the forefront, illustrating how Goodman's Kentucky origins not only influenced his advancement in the NBC ranks but ultimately shaped his vision of "network television as an essential public good." Harkins expertly charts Goodman's outspoken support for First Amendment rights of a free press during the 1960s and 1970s, keen eye for programming which had a lasting influence on American television, and his commitment to public service. Along with his pioneering political coverage, Goodman had an impact on popular culture—namely Star Trek and the National Football League (NFL). You're welcome America.

Shifting gears—public housing, zoning, urban renewal, and development. Again, a complicated tangle of issues. In his article, Carl E. Kramer examines the evolution of American public housing policy in Louisville. While U.S. Supreme Court cases usually drive the scope and power of legal precedence and legislation, Kramer details the influential 1930s lower court ruling of U.S. v. Certain Lands in the City of Louisville which shaped American public housing policy and prohibited the use of eminent domain by the federal government to acquire property for slum clearance and housing. Kramer charts the roots of housing policy, noting reforms which sought to improve housing, and the progression of the legal case to later battles over local or federal administration of public housing programs. Kramer provides historical perspective on present-day issues that continue to ignite fierce debates over economics, race, government-subsidized housing, urban renewal, and downtown revitalization.

The themes that emerge in this issue—political tension, news consumption, urban renewal, and housing concerns—resonate today. These themes punctuate our current conversations and are found in our shared local and national history.