The Black Metropolis in the Twenty-First Century ― Race, Power, and Politics of Place

Bullard (sociology, Clark Atlanta U.) presents 11 essays by social scientists, urban planners, educators, lawyers, and environmentalists that explore the complexities of race and place and the roles they play in the life experiences of African Americans in the urban United States. After Bullard provides a broad overview of key issues--including metropolitan growth and regional disparities, smart growth, environmental justice, housing, economic opportunity, health, community development, sustainability, transportation, land use, politics, and civil rights--the essays address such topics as racial inequalities in space and resource allocation; the current status of African Americans in the areas of home ownership, residential segregation, and suburbanization; "separate but equal" status for middle class black suburbia; the dynamics of private gated communities; the spatial mismatch between where African Americans live and where they work; sprawl-fueled growth as a driver of racial inequality in metropolitan Atlanta; the social and environmental vulnerability of Black New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina; and the relative impact of Black control over municipal political institutions on the material circumstances of African American communities. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Robert D. Bullard is the Ware Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University. He is the author of thirteen books that address sustainable development, environmental racism, urban land use, industrial facility siting, community reinvestment, housing, transportation, and smart growth. His most recent book is entitled Growing Smarter: Achieving Livable Communities, Environmental Justice and Regional Equity (MIT Press 2007).