The Geography Of Opportunity: Race And Housing Choice In Metropolitan America (James A. Johnson Metro Series)

Many Americans think of their country as a welcoming “nation of immigrants,” yet our communities have a long history of ambivalence toward new arrivals and racial minorities. This is often expressed through segregation by race and income. In this book, some of the nation’s leading analysts and advocates show shy segregation persists and how it undermines education, job prospects, and even health and safety for millions of minorities and low-income families. Calling housing “the most important invisible social policy issue in America,” the book outlines and agenda to expand the geography of opportunity and assesses the political promise—and limits—of the movement for regional solutions. This project was sponsored by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University in collaboration with Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies at the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program.

A popular version of history trumpets the United States as a diverse "nation of immigrants," welcome to all. The truth, however, is that local communities have a long history of ambivalence toward new arrivals and minorities. Persistent patterns of segregation by race and income still exist in housing and schools, along with a growing emphasis on rapid metropolitan development (sprawl) that encourages upwardly mobile families to abandon older communities and their problems. This dual pattern is becoming increasingly important as America grows more diverse than ever and economic inequality increases. Two recent trends compel new attention to these issues. First, the geography of race and class represents a crucial litmus test for the new "regionalism"—the political movement to address the linked fortunes of cities and suburbs. Second, housing has all but disappeared as a major social policy issue over the past two decades. This timely book shows how unequal housing choices and sprawling development create an unequal geography of opportunity. It emerges from a project sponsored by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University in collaboration with the Joint Center for Housing Studies and the Brookings Institution. The contributors—policy analysts, political observers, social scientists, and urban planners—document key patterns, their consequences, and how we can respond, taking a hard look at both successes and failures of the past. Place still matters, perhaps more than ever. High levels of segregation shape education and job opportunity, crime and insecurity, and long-term economic prospects. These problems cannot be addressed effectively if society assumes that segregation will take care of itself. Contributors include William Apgar (Harvard University), Judith Bell (PolicyLink), Angela Glover Blackwell (PolicyLink), Allegra Calder (Harvard), Karen Chapple (Cal-Berkeley), Camille Charles (Penn), Mary Cunningham (Urban Institute), Casey Dawkins (Virginia Tech), Stephanie DeLuca (Johns Hopkins), John Goering (CUNY), Edward Goetz (U. of Minnesota), Bruce Katz (Brookings), Barbara Lukermann (U. of Minnesota), Gerrit Knaap (U. of Maryland), Arthur Nelson (Virginia Tech), Rolf Pendall (Cornell), Susan J. Popkin (Urban Institute), James Rosenbaum (Northwestern), Stephen L. Ross (U. of Connecticut), Mara Sidney (Rutgers), Phillip Tegeler (Poverty and Race Research Action Council), Tammy Tuck (Northwestern), Margery Austin Turner (Urban Institute), William Julius Wilson (Harvard).

" A popular version of history trumpets the United States as a diverse ""nation of immigrants,"" welcome to all. The truth, however, is that local communities have a long history of ambivalence toward new arrivals and minorities. Persistent patterns of segregation by race and income still exist in housing and schools, along with a growing emphasis on rapid metropolitan development (sprawl) that encourages upwardly mobile families to abandon older communities and their problems. This dual pattern is becoming increasingly important as America grows more diverse than ever and economic inequality increases. Two recent trends compel new attention to these issues. First, the geography of race and class represents a crucial litmus test for the new ""regionalism""the political movement to address the linked fortunes of cities and suburbs. Second, housing has all but disappeared as a major social policy issue over the past two decades. This timely book shows how unequal housing choices and sprawling development create an unequal geography of opportunity. It emerges from a project sponsored by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University in collaboration with the Joint Center for Housing Studies and the Brookings Institution. The contributorspolicy analysts, political observers, social scientists, and urban plannersdocument key patterns, their consequences, and how we can respond, taking a hard look at both successes and failures of the past. Place still matters, perhaps more than ever. High levels of segregation shape education and job opportunity, crime and insecurity, and long-term economic prospects. These problems cannot be addressed effectively if society assumes that segregation will take care of itself. Contributors include William Apgar (Harvard University), Judith Bell (PolicyLink), Angela Glover Blackwell (PolicyLink), Allegra Calder (Harvard), Karen Chapple (Cal-Berkeley), Camille Charles (Penn), Mary Cunningham (Urban Institute), Casey Dawkins (Virginia Tech), Stephanie DeLuca (Johns Hopkins), John Goering (CUNY), Edward Goetz (U. of Minnesota), Bruce Katz (Brookings), Barbara Lukermann (U. of Minnesota), Gerrit Knaap (U. of Maryland), Arthur Nelson (Virginia Tech), Rolf Pendall (Cornell), Susan J. Popkin (Urban Institute), James Rosenbaum (Northwestern), Stephen L. Ross (U. of Connecticut), Mara Sidney (Rutgers), Phillip Tegeler (Poverty and Race Research Action Council), Tammy Tuck (Northwestern), Margery Austin Turner (Urban Institute), William Julius Wilson (Harvard). " A Multidisciplinary Examination Of The Social And Economic Changes Resulting From Increased Diversity And Their Implications For Economic Opportunity And Growth Given Persistent Patterns Of Segregation By Race And Class, Offering Both Public Policy And Private Initiatives That Would Respond To Those Challenges--provided By Publisher. More Pluribus, Less Unum? : The Changing Geography Of Race And Opportunity / Xavier De Souza Briggs -- Can We Live Together? : Racial Preferences And Neighborhood Outcomes / Camille Zubrinsky Charles -- How Racial Discrimination Affects The Search For Housing / Margery Austin Turner And Stephen L. Ross -- The Dual Mortgage Market : The Persistence Of Discrimination In Mortgage Lending / William Apgar And Allegra Calder -- Expanding Housing Choice And Integrating Neighborhoods : The Mto Experiment / John Goering -- Crossing Borders And Adapting : Low-income Black Families In Suburbia / James Rosenbaum, Stefanie Deluca, And Tammy Tuck -- Beyond The Projects : Lessons From Public Housing Transformation In Chicago / Susan J. Popkin And Mary K. Cunningham -- The Persistence Of Segregation In Government Housing Programs / Phillip D. Tegeler -- Connecting Smart Growth, Housing Affordability, And Racial Equity / Rolf Pendall ... [et Al.] -- The Rise And Fall Of Fair Share Housing : Lessons From The Twin Cities / Edward G. Goetz, Karen Chapple, And Barbara Lukermann -- Fair Housing And Affordable Housing Advocacy : Reconciling The Dual Agenda / Mara S. Sidney -- Equitable Development For A Stronger Nation : Lessons From The Field / Angela Glover Blackwell And Judith Bell -- Politics And Policy : Changing The Geography Of Opportunity / Xavier De Souza Briggs. Xavier De Souza Briggs, Editor. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 4 Contents......Page 8 Foreword......Page 10 Preface......Page 16 Acknowledgments......Page 18 1. Introduction......Page 22 2. More Pluribus, Less Unum? The Changing Geography of Race and Opportunity......Page 38 PART I: Housing Choice, Racial Attitudes, and Discrimination......Page 64 3. Can We Live Together? Racial Preferences and Neighborhood Outcomes......Page 66 4. How Racial Discrimination Affects the Search for Housing......Page 102 5. The Dual Mortgage Market: The Persistence of Discrimination in Mortgage Lending......Page 122 PART II: Housing Opportunity for Low-Income Families......Page 146 6. Expanding Housing Choice and Integrating Neighborhoods: The MTO Experiment......Page 148 7. New Capabilities in New Places: Low-Income Black Families in Suburbia......Page 171 8. Beyond the Projects: Lessons from Public Housing Transformation in Chicago......Page 197 9. The Persistence of Segregation in Government Housing Programs......Page 218 PART III: Metropolitan Development and Policy Coalitions......Page 238 10. Connecting Smart Growth, Housing Affordability, and Racial Equity......Page 240 11. The Rise and Fall of Fair Share Housing: Lessons from the Twin Cities......Page 268 12. Fair Housing and Affordable Housing Advocacy Reconciling the Dual Agenda......Page 287 PART IV: Conclusions......Page 308 13. Equitable Development for a Stronger Nation: Lessons from the Field......Page 310 14. Politics and Policy: Changing the Geography of Opportunity......Page 331 Contributors......Page 364 Index......Page 366 Fundamental to the American Dream is somewhere to call homea safe and welcoming "anchor place" where families are raised and memories are formed.