Racism in city planning is a topic of growing concern. Urban planning and laws influencing urban and regional planning have perpetuated institutional or systemic racism in our cities, suburbs, and other communities throughout the country. The history of city planning and zoning laws in the US is rife with examples of racially discriminatory policies that enforced racial segregation. Source
For instance, local zoning laws enacted in the early 20th century were created to enforce racial segregation. After the Supreme Court ruled against the constitutionality of zoning laws that targeted black Americans in 1917, local governments responded by creating exclusionary zoning laws that achieved the same objective without being overt in their racist intentions. Source
Urban planning has played a crucial role in shaping institutional racism we see today. From redlining and exclusionary zoning enforcing racially segregated neighborhoods to racial discrimination in the housing market, urban planning has been instrumental in perpetuating institutional racism. Source
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