Sprawl City: Race, Politics, and Planning in Atlanta

A serious but often overlooked impact of the random, unplanned growth commonly known as sprawl is its effect on economic and racial polarization. Sprawl-fueled growth pushes people further apart geographically, politically, economically, and socially. Atlanta, Georgia, one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, offers a striking example of sprawl-induced stratification.

Sprawl City uses a multi-disciplinary approach to analyze and critique the emerging crisis resulting from urban sprawl in the ten-county Atlanta metropolitan region. Local experts including sociologists, lawyers, urban planners, economists, educators, and health care professionals consider sprawl-related concerns as core environmental justice and civil rights issues.

Contributors focus on institutional constraints that are embedded in urban sprawl, considering how government housing, education, and transportation policies have aided and in some cases subsidized separate but unequal economic development and segregated neighborhoods. They offer analysis of the causes and consequences of urban sprawl, and outline policy recommendations and an action agenda for coping with sprawl-related problems, both in Atlanta and around the country.

Contributors are Natalie Brown, Robert D. Bullard, William W. Buzbee, James Chapman, Dennis Creech, Russell W. Irvine, Charles Jaret, Chad G. Johnson, Glenn S. Johnson, Kurt Phillips, Elizabeth P. Ruddiman, and Angel O. Torres.

The book illuminates the rising class and racial divisions underlying uneven growth and development, and provides a timely source of information for anyone concerned with those issues, including the growing environmental justice movement as well as planners, policy analysts, public officials, community leaders, and students of public policy, geography, or planning.

Sprawl City uses a multi-disciplinary approach to analyze and critique the emerging crisis resulting from urban sprawl in the ten-county Atlanta metropolitan region. Local experts including sociologists, lawyers, urban planners, economists, educators, and health care professionals consider sprawl-related concerns as core environmental justice and civil rights issues.<P>Contributors focus on institutional constraints that are embedded in urban sprawl, considering how government housing, education, and transportation policies have aided and in some cases subsidized separate but unequal economic development and segregated neighborhoods. They offer analysis of the causes and consequences of urban sprawl, and outline policy recommendations and an action agenda for coping with sprawl-related problems.

Robert D. Bullard is Ware Professor of Sociology and director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University. He is author of eight books including "Dumping in Dixie" (3e) (Westview, 2000) and "Just Transportation" (New Society, 1997).

Glenn S. Johnson is assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, and research associate in the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University.

Angel O. Torres is a GIS specialist with the Environmental Justice Resource Center.

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Anatomy of Sprawl

Robert D. Bullard

Chapter 1. Environmental Costs and Consequences

of Sprawl

Robert D. Bullard, Glenn S. Johnson, and Angel O. Torres

Chapter 2. Dismantling Transportation Apartheid:

The Quest for Equality

Robert D. Bullard, Glenn S. Johnson, and Angel O. Torres

Chapter 3. Impact of Building Roads to

Everywhere

James Chapman

Chapter 4. Closed Doors: Persistent Barriers to

Fair Housing

Angel O. Torres, Robert D. Bullard, and Chad G. Johnson

Chapter 5. The Legacy of Residential Segregation

Charles Jaret, Elizabeth P. Ruddiman, and Kurt Phillips

Chapter 6. Widening Educational Gap

Russell W. Irvine

Chapter 7. Urbal Sprawl and Legal Reform

William W. Buzbee

Chapter 8. Energy Use and the Environment

Dennis Creech and Natalie Brown

Chapter 9. Conclusion: Facing the Challenges

Ahead

Robert D. Bullard

Acronyms

Contributors

Index