Resources on Race and Sprawl

A recent NCPPR report argued that smart growth policies hurt minority populations. That ideology-driven report was thoroughly discredited by academic analysis. However, understanding the links between growth, race, and povery is important. 1000 Friends welcomes suggestions for additions to this guide.

"Sprawl as a Civil Rights Issue -- A Mayor's Reflections" Mayor William A. Johnson, Jr., Rochester, New York.

"America's Urban Problem/America's Race Problem," (Former) Mayor David Rusk, A Special Issue of Urban Geography, Vol. 19, No. 8, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

"Smart Growth and Inclusionary Zoning - the New Civil Rights Issues," (Former) Mayor David Rusk, Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Scroll down for article)

"Green, White, and Black: The City, The Suburbs and the Color of Metropolitan Job Sprawl," Paul Street.

"Race and Space: What Really Drives Metropolitan Growth," John A. Powell, Brookings Review, Fall 1998.

"Achieving Racial Justice, What's Sprawl Got to Do With It," John A. Powell, PRRAC, Sept/Oct 1999, Poverty & Race, Vol. 8, No. 5.

"On Race and Space," Michael Finley, Minnesota, Mar/Apr 2002.

"Saving Farms by Saving Cities: Sprawl, Race and Concentrated Poverty," (Former) Mayor David Rusk, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

"The Segregation Tax: The Cost of Racial Segregation To Black
Homeowners," by David Rusk

"How Sprawl Makes Us Poor," John A. Powell, The Albuquerque Tribune, March 22, 2000.

"Urban Sprawl is a Civil Rights Issue," John A. Powell, Journal of Urban Ecology, Winter 2001.

"Race, Poverty, and Urban Sprawl: Access to Opportunities Through Regional Strategies," John A. Powell.

"Race, Equity, and Smart Growth: Why People of Color Must Speak for Themselves," Robert D. Bullard, Glenn S. Johnson, and Angel O. Torres.

"Why Smart Growth is Important to People of Color," by Robert Bullard

"How Smart Growth Can Address Environmental Justice Issues," National Governors Association report.

"Responding to the Critics of Smart Growth's Effects on People of Color," Elizabeth Humphrey, Smart Growth America.

More information: Policylink

thanks to the American Planning Association for compiling most of these resources

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