Final answer:
U.S. cities have indeed turned to alternative funding sources for urban projects, including attracting professional sports teams and offering houses for nominal fees to stimulate renovation and combat urban decay.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the trend of U.S. cities utilizing alternative funding sources such as corporate sponsors, nonprofit organizations, and private individuals for urban development projects like construction and renovation. This practice is due to several factors, including municipal governments looking to rebuild their tax bases and combat urban decay after experiencing significant property abandonment and fiscal challenges, as observed during the 1970s and 1980s in cities like New York. In addition to these local initiatives, there have been attempts to attract professional sports teams and build sports stadiums as an economic development strategy, often involving public financing, which has been a controversial issue.
Further, in an attempt to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods, some cities implemented programs that offered houses for nominal amounts of money, such as one dollar, to buyers who agreed to live in and maintain these properties. This strategy aimed to offer affordable housing, promote renovation, and ultimately generate modest tax revenue. Tax incentives and other forms of financial aid, sometimes sponsored by the federal government's HUD, were provided to encourage investment in these areas.