The "Inequality Chronicles," now in their third installment by Places Journal, are essential reading.
Alec MacGillis's article examines how public investment "and disinvestment" in public transit "figured greatly in the persistence of racial and economic inequality" in Baltimore.
The article begins with the riot of April 27, 2015, exacerbated by a decision to shutdown of public transportation after the memorial service for Freddie Gray had concluded. The remainder of the article traces a history that begins with Reconstruction, following the Civil War, through the Great Migration, into Baltimore's unique pattern of white flight, which spanned either side of World War II, and into the transit and transportation planning decisions of recent decades.
Supplemental reading for the recent transit planning decisions can be found in an editorial published by the Baltimore Sun earlier this week, which calls for a transformative investment in public transit.
Earlier installments of the "Inequality Chronicles" covered Memphis and Houston.
FULL STORY: The Third Rail
Light Rail It Is for Baltimore’s Red Line Project
The decision to go with light rail over bus rapid transit will be more expensive and take longer to complete, but proponents say it’s an investment in Baltimore’s economic future.
Maryland Could Cut Transit Funding, Citing Budget Gap
The governor says the state remains committed to its major transit projects, but may need to reduce service to meet a growing financial shortfall.
Maryland to Restart Planning for East-West Transit Line Through Baltimore
A plan for the Red Line, an east-west light rail line notoriously canceled by former-Governor Larry Hogan in 2015, is back on the table in Baltimore.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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