Race-Related Sprawl

In this interview, civil rights leader and environmentalist Van Jones talks about the interconnections between urban sprawl, racism and the "prison-industrial complex".

1 minute read

November 7, 2007, 7:00 AM PST

By Michael Dudley

"Sprawl is a response to racial fear and anxiety on the part of white elites. The 'burbs were designed as a vehicle to get away from people of color, investing more in the white infrastructure as they moved away from the city, and the neighborhoods where people of color live. The other side of that is the disinvestment for the communities that remain behind; the money follows the new suburban development. Those that remain in the inner city continue to lose in this scenario."

"People don't want to talk about why people call this a "good" neighborhood or that one a "bad" neighborhood, but often it has to do with the race of the people that live there. White people divorce themselves from the bad neighborhoods and move to the suburbs."

FULL STORY: The Future of Cities: How Sprawl and Racism are Intertwined

Monday, November 5, 2007 in AlterNet

Land Use Social / Demographics United States

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