Land Use Regulation's Legacy of Racial Segregation

An investigative feature by Governing magazine blames the history of land use regulations like zoning and redlining for the racial segregation of contemporary communities all over the state of Illinois and the country.

1 minute read

January 28, 2019, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Illinois Freeway

Bumble Dee / Shutterstock

Daniel C. Vock, J. Brian Charles, and Mike Maciag report on the legacy of racial segregation achieved by zoning regulations in Illinois, the result of a six-month investigation of mid-sized cities in the state for evidence of racial segregation.

"In each of these cities, as in the rest of the country, segregation means not just a physical divide between black and whites, but a huge disparity in resources," according to the article.

According to the premise of the article, the most powerful method local governments have used in achieving these results is land use regulation—"zoning restrictions, housing subsidies, tax incentives, public housing policy and restrictive covenants."

The article digs into the history of segregation in the mid-sized cities of Illinois as exemplifiers of these causes and effects, and a deeper exploration of the legal mechanisms of segregation.

Thursday, January 24, 2019 in Governing

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