MAP THE GAP
Visualizing Sociospatial Inequities in the Built Environment Visualizing Sociospatial I n e q u i t y in the U.S. Research by students at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design Fall 2015 1
In Response
In Response
In the wake of recent events — which have brought about an erosion of social justice
and racial equity — designers and planners must find a voice. As responsible contributors to the development of urban environments, we must stand accountable for our part in generating the communities we see today. With that being said, accountability also presents opportunity. We have unique resources and capacities to dismantle, reimagine, and reconfigure institutionalized systems to reflect inclusive, resilient, equitable places to thrive.
2014 New York, NY
1965 New York, NY
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Executive Summary
Established by the African American Student Union at Harvard University’s Graduate
School of Design (GSD AASU), “Map the Gap: Visualizing Sociospatial Inequity in the U.S.” is a research project that explores the link between design and social justice in the built environment. Offered as a for-credit seminar in the fall 2015 semester, the project is rooted in current events and situated within larger efforts led by the AASU. “Map the Gap” investigates socioeconomic, spatial, and political inequities across four categories in several U.S. cities that have been impacted by recent police shootings. Analyzing these fatalities within their specific context, as well as within citywide, state, and federal policy is central to “Map the Gap.” Investigations are structured around a fatal encounters atlas that develops narratives around three Black victims of fatal encounters from Baltimore, Boston, and St. Louis. Baltimore and St. Louis were chosen in response to the fatalities of Freddie Gray and Michael Brown respectively, and Boston because of its contentious and well-known history of race relations. In an attempt to humanize each of the victims, our work moves through a dot referenced on a map, to a narrative of a human life, to a detailing of each victim’s community fabric. By contextualizing fatalities within their individual environments, the project offers a new lens with which to better understand the climate of police brutality in the United States.
Data Point as fatality
Victim as human life
Context as community fabric
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Following the atlas, a set of categorical studies follows that deepens our understanding of the dynamic and unjust forces in impacted cities. The project primarily examines the three cities across (1) their histories of urban renewal, (2) the stark racial divisions in their educational systems, and (3) their public transportation networks and job mobility. As inequities are analyzed, overarching national trends may surface, which unearth systemic injustice latent in U.S. cities.
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Timeline of Related Responses
Contents
“Map the Gap: Visualizing Sociospatial Inequity in the U.S.” originated in the Fall of 2014
2014
2015
Chapter 1
Fatal Encounters Chapter 2
Urban Renewal
“Map the Gap” presented at National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) Conference in Los Angeles.
Oct. 14
Black in Design Conference hosted at the GSD.
Oct. 9-10
“BANG BANG BANG! Housing Policy and the Geography of Fatal Encounters” exhibit opens at GSD.
Aug. 31
InFORMing Justice: A Conversation about the Role of Design in Building Equitable Communities is cosponsored by GSD Afircan American Student Union and the Joint Center for Housing Studies.
Apr. 8
Hackathon held at GSD in response to grand jury ruling in Ferguson.
Nov. 22
as a response to the multitude of Black lives lost at the hands of law enforcement in the United States. The project has been central to our work as a student group. The timeline below displays the various initiatives by the Harvard University Graduate School of Design African American Student Union (GSD AASU) as they pertain to our work across equity in the built environment.
Chapter 3
Education Chapter 4
Job Access & Mobility
2016 6
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In light of the recent and growing coverage of police brutality against Black men and women,
1,146 people were killed at the hands of the police in the United States in the year 2015.
the GSD AASU began to map each of these fatal encounters from 2000 to 2015. From this map, it was evident that these encounters occur pervasively across the nation; yet they almost always take place in, and disproportionately affect, Black and low-income communities. The atlas of fatal encounters serves to catalog lives lost to police brutality in an attempt to humanize and recognize each of the victims. Their stories are then contextualized within their individual built environments in an effort to better understand the climate of police brutality. Through an investigation of the context surrounding fatal encounters, the ways in which encounters relate to not only physical, but also economic and social conditions, becomes more clear. While the fatal encounters atlas is largely a mapping exercise, it also aims to humanize each victim and provide greater insight into his urban experience. Each entry begins with a photo of the individual who died and is paired with his biographical information. Also included are details of the individual fatal encounter and the aftermath that each death sparked. A neighborhood map then illustrates the site of the occurrence and is followed by map that identifies the local conditions particular to the victim, such as their home, place of employment, school, and other places of interest. Through the mapping of fatal encounters, it is evident that continued disinvestment, racist and classist policies, and social prejudice have engendered environments that support the landscape of police brutality and ultimately fatal encounters. The maps shown document the racial distribution, median household income, educational attainment, and reliance on public transportation, at both the citywide and neighborhood scale.
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-The Guardian’s The Counted
CHAPTER 1
Fatal Encounters Joshua Jow, Dayita Kurvey, Dana McKinney
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FREDDIE GRAY | Baltimore, MD April 19, 2015 Cause of Death: Spinal Injury
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HIS STORY Gray was the son of Gloria Darden and had two sisters, his twin, Fredericka, and Carolina. At the time of his death, Gray lived in his sister’s home in the Gilmor Homes neighborhood. Gray had a criminal record of drug charges and minor offenses. He had been involved in twenty criminal court cases, five of which were still active at the time of his death. In February 2009, he was sentenced to four years in prison for drug possession with intent to deliver and was paroled in 2011. In 2012, he was arrested for violating parole and in 2013, he returned to jail for a month before being released again. Despite Gray’s criminal record, friends and neighbors described him as beloved by his peers, laid-back personality, and with a strong sense of humor. THE INCIDENT Freddie Gray was arrested by the Baltimore Police Department for possessing an illegal switchblade. While transported to the station in a police van, Gray fell into a coma and was transported to a trauma center. He also suffered from cardiopulmonary arrest and was subsequently resuscitated, but he never regained consciousness. His death resulted from severe injury to his spinal cord, in which 80% of his spine was severed at his neck. Some accused the officers to rough driving, in which he was unrestrained in the back of the vehicle and neighbors claimed that the officers beat Gray with a baton before entering the van. THE AFTERMATH On April 21, 2015, pending an investigation of the incident, six Baltimore police officers were suspended with pay. During the city’s investigation the U.S. Department of Justice also opened an investigation of the fatal encounter. On May 1, 2015, the medical examiner ruled Gray’s death a homicide. Paralleling the protest and unrest seen in Ferguson, MO with the death of Michael Brown, Jr., on April 25, 2015 protests turned violent and several buildings within the city of Baltimore were set on fire and looted. On September 8, 2015, Gray’s family received a settlement of $6.4 million for his wrongful death. On December 16, 2015, the first trial against one of the six officers involved was deemed a mistrial. The New York Times reported on July 27, 2016 that all charges had been dropped against the officers in Gray’s case.
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Baltimore Sandtown-Winchester Neighborhood Fabric
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Baltimore City Fabric
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15
48%
Baltimore Race Distribution
70%
64%
52%
30%
City
12%
48%
Police Force 88%
44%
70%
38%
12% 88%
48%
38%
Fatal Encounters
Site of Non-White FE 62% Black Non-White White
Freddie Gray Non-White FE White FE Black Majority Black
Black
Racial Demographics
Baltimore demonstrates the largest proportion of a Black population among the cities studied; 63.7% of its Non-White residents are Black. However, the police force is disproportionately White at 48%.
White
White
Hispanic Asian Other
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17
Baltimore Median Household Income
$45,000 $40,000 $35,000 $30,000 $25,000 $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $5,000 $0
Block Group of Gray’s Death
Black Population
Non-White Population
Baltimore
30%
Median Household Income 25% The median household income of residents living in the census block group where Freddie Gray’s death occurred is significantly lower than that of Baltimore’s Black population, non-white population, and overall 20% population. $0
15%
$250,000+
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10%
19
$15,000 $10,000
Baltimore Educational Attainment
$5,000
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
$0
30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%
25%
Block Group of Gray’s Death
Black Population
Non-White Population
Baltimore
Educational Attainment
Only 1% of the residents in the block group where Gray died had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. 20% 15% 1 dot = 1 person
20
10% 21
MARQUIS BARKER | Boston, MA November 21, 2007 Cause of Death: Gunshot wound
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HIS STORY A resident of the Dorchester neighborhood in Boston, Barker was a husband and father to five children. Barker had worked as a correctional officer in the Suffolk County Sheriff’s office for 18 years. Upon his death, he was described as a soft-spoken, loving father. THE INCIDENT Barker’s wife, Kim Sanders Barker, called 911 when her husband began walking in circles in front of their Fuller Street home with a pellet gun pointed at his head. In her call to the police, she mentioned that Marquis was diabetic, suffering from a mental breakdown, and served as a correctional officer. This information was not passed along to the responding officers, nor were they told to exercise restraint. Sergeant Detective Joseph MacDonald, the officer who answered the call, also neglected to request assistance from a psychiatric professional. When the officers arrived to the scene, Barker was still pointing the gun at his head. When prompted to drop the weapon, Barker entered a vacant police cruiser and drove off. Several police officers quickly pursued, and Barker crashed into a nearby gate a half-mile away from his home. The officers began to fire at the vehicle. When the gunfire ended, Barker was found with both hands on the steering wheel and the windows were rolled up in plain view. THE AFTERMATH Two years after the fatal encounter the Suffolk district attorney ruled that the officers acted lawfully. Three years following the incident, Kim Sanders Barker filed a $4 million wrongful-death lawsuit against the city of Boston. She claimed that the Boston Police violated her husband’s civil rights and used excessive force.
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Boston Dorchester Neighborhood Fabric
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Boston City Fabric
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48%
Boston Race Distribution
25%
70%
24%
35%
54%
City
46%
Police Force
12%
88%
65% 38%
40%
60%
57%
33%
Fatal Encounters
Site of Non-White FE
Black
67%
Non-White White Marquis Barker Non-White FE White FE Black Majority Black
Racial Demographics
The Black community is highly segregated to the southern neighborhoods of Roxbury and Dorchester. The Non-White Boston Police Department racial distribution is almost completely proportional to that of the city’s overall population. White There is a slightly higher proportion of non-White than White fatal encounters (21:14). Boston demonstrates the lowest disproportion in regards to racial composition.
Black White Hispanic Asian Other
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Boston Median Household Income
$60,000 $50,000 $40,000 $30,000 $20,000 $10,000 $0
Block Group of Barker’s Death
Black Population
Non-White Population
50%
Boston
Median Household Income 45% Unlike the other incidents studied, the median household income of the fatal encounter’s block group is 40% higher than that of the majority Black and majority non-White neighborhoods, but remains lower than the city’s MHI. 35% 30% $0
25%
$250,000+
30
20% 15%
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Boston Educational Attainment Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
$60,000 $50,000 $40,000 $30,000 $20,000 $10,000 $0
Block Group of Barker’s Death
Black Population
Non-White Population
Boston
50% 45% 40%
Educational Attainment 35% The educational attainment of the fatal encounter’s block group follows the trend of the other two incidents studied in that it is substantially lower than the city, majority non-White neighborhoods, and majority Black 30% areas. 25% 20% 1 dot = 1 person
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15% 10%
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MICHAEL BROWN, JR. | Ferguson, MO August 9, 2014 Cause of Death: Gunshot wound
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HIS STORY Brown graduated from Normandy High School in St. Louis County, where he completed an alternative education program eight days before his death. While several described Brown as no angel, particularly as he was going through a rebellious streak, he also spoke seriously of religion and the Bible. Before his death, he had experimented with drugs and alcohol, but took interest in rapping. THE INCIDENT Michael Brown and his friend, Dorian Johnson stole several cigarillos from a nearby convenience store and shoved the store clerk upon exiting. Officer Darren Wilson the only responding officer recognized Brown from the suspect description. An altercation ensued between Brown and Wilson at the police cruiser, in which 2 shots were fired. Subsequently, Wilson pursued Brown on foot, where he fired several more shots, fatally wounding Brown. THE AFTERMATH In November 2014, a grand jury ruled for the non-indictment of Wilson, which led to widespread protests throughout Ferguson and in part, inspired the Black Lives Matter Movement. Brown’s death received nationwide attention and sparked tensions of majority-black communities that suffer from incidents of police brutality. In March 2015, the US Department of Justice completed a report on the Ferguson Police Department and called that it completely overhaul its criminal justice systems, claiming that it violated citizens’, particularly Black citizens’, constitutional and civil rights. However, the report concluded that Wilson’s use of force against Brown was defensible and cleared his charges.
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St. Louis Ferguson Neighborhood Fabric
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St. Louis City Fabric
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48%
St. Louis Race Distribution
49%
35%
70%
44%
37%
City
12%
63%
Police Force 88%
56%
38%
12% 88%
21%
Fatal Encounters
79%
Site of Non-White FE
Black Non-White White Michael Brown, Jr. Non-White FE
Racial Demographics
White FE
St. Louis’s Black population represents nearly half of the city’s population and outnumbers its White Black population, but the police force is disproportionately White at 63%.
Black Majority Black
Non-White
White
White
Hispanic Asian Other
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St. Louis Median Household Income
$40,000 $35,000 $30,000 $25,000 $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $5,000 $0 Block Group of Brown’s Death
35%
Black Population
Non-White Population
St. Louis
Median Household Income
30% household income is severely lower than the Black population. Further, the MHI demonstrates The median that the residents are hovering around the poverty line. 25% 20% $0
15%
$250,000+
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10%
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$10,000
St. Louis Educational Attainment
$5,000 $0
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Block Group of Brown’s Death
30%
Black Population
Non-White Population
St. Louis
Educational Attainment
The fatal encounter’s block group where Brown was shot demonstrates a 0% educational attainment of a 25% bachelor’s degree or more. 20% 15% 1 dot = 1 person
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10%
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Conclusions
National Fatal Encounters 2000-2015
The racial distribution of the block group in which each fatal encounter occurred contain a higher percentage of Black residents than the cities themselves, with the block groups in which Freddie Gray and Michael Brown were killed containing nearly 90% Black residents. In every fatal encounter, the incident’s corresponding block group demonstrated a significantly lower educational attainment than the city’s overall population. In all three cases, the block group in which each fatal encounter occurred demonstrated a lower educational attainment than the city’s Black and broader nonWhite population. St. Louis in particular demonstrated a 0% educational attainment of a bachelor’s degree or more in the block group corresponding to a fatal encounter. Based on our findings, we discovered that people in low income and low educational attainment neighborhoods are more susceptible to fatal encounters. However, it is difficult to differentiate between race and class due to the fact that our calculations of majority group areas was not fine grained enough to analyze the Black population alone. In future studies we would like to use census blocks instead of block groups to achieve a finer granularity. Despite the limitations of the data, the atlas of fatal encounters provides insight into the built and socioeconomic landscape of low-income, poorly educated Black communities that often fall prey to police brutality.
Non-White FE White FE
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Methods
Fatal Encounters Atlas Cities 2000-2015
The national map in this spread shows the distribution of fatal encounters in ten cities: Oakland, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland, Washington, DC, Baltimore, New York City, and Boston. Data was collected from the Fatal Encounters website (2000 and 2015), and then displayed via ArcGIS. Throughout this document, the encounters are categorized as a non-White and White due to variation and inconsistency in their reporting. The number of reports dramatically increased between 2010 and 2015. The demographic data used, including, race, median household income, and transportation, was sourced from the United States Census Bureau 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Areas defined as majority non-White were determined by a simple majority, in which non-White residents, including Black, Hispanic, Asian, and other ethnic groups, accommodated for 50% or more of a block group. Similarly, majority Black areas were defined by a simple majority, in which 50% or more of a block group as Black.
35 41
33 54
38 33
596
98 66
Total FE
48
249
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SOURCES Andersen, Travis. “Wife of slain man sues city.” Boston.com. November 20, 2010. Accessed December 1, 2015. http://www. boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/11/20/wife_of_slain_man_sues_city/. Ashkenas, Jeremy and Haeyoun Park. “The Race Gap in America’s Police Departments.” The New York Times. April 8, 2015. Accessed October 12, 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/09/03/us/the-race-gap-in-americas-police-departments. html. Baker, Al, J. David Goodman, and Benjamin Mueller. “Beyond the Chokehold: The Path to Eric Garner’s Death.” New York Times. June 13, 2015. Accessed December 17, 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/nyregion/eric-garner-police-chokeholdstaten-island.html. Bidgood, Jess and Sheryl Gay Stolberg. “After Freddie Gray Deadlock, Uncertainty for Prosecutors.” The New York Times. Accessed December 17, 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/us/freddie-gray-baltimore-william-porter-jury-deadlock.html. Downs, Kat, Alexandra Garcia, and Amanda Zamora. “The DeOnte Rawlings Shooting.” November 11, 2011. Accessed December 15, 2015. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/interactives/rawlings/. Eligon, John. “Michael Brown Spent Last Weeks Grappling With Problems and Promise.” August 24, 2014. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/25/us/michael-brown-spent-last-weeks-grappling-with-lifes-mysteries.html. Fatal Encounters. “Database and Last Name Check.” 2015. Accessed June 1, 2015. http://www.fatalencounters.org/. Fleischer, Jodie. “Deadly police shooting of unarmed teen reopened after Channel 2 investigation.” WSB-TV Atlanta 2. May 17, 2015. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/deadly-police-shooting-unarmed-teen-reopenedafter/nmH9H/. GeoCommunity. “GIS Data Catalog.” 2014. Accessed September 18, 2015. http://data.geocomm.com/catalog/index.html. Graham, David A. “The Mysterious Death of Freddie Gray.” The Atlantic. April 22, 2015. Accessed December 15, 2015. http:// www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/04/the-mysterious-death-of-freddie-gray/391119/.
McLaughlin, Michael. “Ex-Transit Officer Who Killed Oscar Grant, Unarmed Black Man, Wins Lawsuit.” Huffington Post. July 2, 2014. Accessed December 17, 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/01/oscar-grant-lawsuit-bart-officer_n_5548719. html. Reynolds, Dean. “The brief, troubled life of Laquan McDonald.” CBS. Accessed December 10, 2015. http://www.cbsnews.com/ news/the-brief-troubled-life-of-laquan-mcdonald/. Schmadeke, Steve. “Chicago cop indicted on 6 murder counts in Laquan McDonald slaying.” Chicago Tribune. December 16, 2015. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-jason-van-dyke-indicted-laquanmcdonald-met-20151216-story.html. Shoichet, Catherine E. “Laquan McDonald video: Shot teen spins, falls onto road.” CNN. November 24, 2015. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/24/us/chicago-laquan-mcdonald-shooting-video/. Smith, Mitch. “Cleveland Officer Says He Shot Tamir Rice After Fake Gun Was Pulled.” The New York Times. December 1, 2015. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/us/cleveland-officer-says-he-shot-tamir-rice-after-fakegun-was-pulled.html?_r=0. Thompson, Cheryl. “DeOnte Rawlings civil suit over fatal shooting is settled.” The Washington Post. November 11, 2011. Accessed December 10, 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/deonte-rawlings-civil-suit-over-fatal-shooting-is-settled/2011/11/02/ gIQANcMbCN_story.html. Thompson, Cheryl. “Review of DeOnte Rawlings Case.” The Washington Post. April 20, 2009. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2009/04/19/DI2009041900774.html. United States Census Bureau. “American FactFinder.” Last modified December 3, 2015. Accessed December 10, 2015. http:// factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk. United States Census Bureau. “TIGER/Line with Selected Demographic and Economic Data.” Last modified 2015. Accessed October 1, 2015. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tiger-data.html.
Healy, Jack. “What happened in Ferguson.” The New York Times. November 26. 2014. Accessed December 10, 2015. http:// www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/us/ferguson-missouri-town-under-siege-after-police-shooting.html. Justice for Ariston. “Cover-Up of Murdered Black Youth Ariston Waiters by Union City Police Chief.” Accessed December 17, 2015. http://www.justiceforariston.com/. Los Angeles Times. “Full Coverage: Ezell Ford Shooting.” Los Angeles Times. Accessed November 16, 2015. http://www.latimes. com/local/lanow/la-me-ezell-ford-shooting-sg-storygallery.html.
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This chapter presents the unfolding of urban renewal in our three case cities and examines
“A boy last week, he was sixteen, in San Francisco, told me on television — thank God we got him to talk — maybe somebody thought to listen. He said, “I’ve got no country. I’ve got no flag.” ... I don’t have any evidence to prove that he does. They were tearing down his house, because San Francisco is engaging — as most Northern cities now are engaged — in something called urban renewal, which means moving the Negroes out. It means Negro removal, that is what it means. The federal government is an accomplice to this fact.”
the implementation of such programs and their effects on the Black populations residing in each city. Urban renewal programs across the United States guaranteed promises of better futures as a result of revitalization and land redevelopment, but in many cases the outcomes differed from the promises for marginalized communities. The mappings display how, over several decades, urban renewal districts in each city corresponded with the migration (as in the case of Boston), or concentration (as in the case of Baltimore and St. Louis) of Black residents in areas declared for urban renewal.
Urban renewal as we know it today was introduced in the United States through the Housing Act of 1949, which provided federal funding for local municipalities to acquire land for slum clearance. Targeting areas considered blighted, urban redevelopment efforts sought to regenerate declining local economies through the creation of both housing and large-scale mixed-use projects, but radically altered existing urban landscapes. Existing city fabric was significantly affected, resulting in the relocation of communities; the degree of this displacement varied from city to city. In the context of recent police shootings, this chapter offers a glimpse into how urban renewal efforts have shaped on-the-ground conditions in Baltimore, Boston, and St. Louis, leaving some areas more prosperous and others still vacant and underdeveloped. The analysis explores how the socioeconomic factors of residential vacancy, median housing value, and median household income vary in areas that were impacted by urban renewal efforts against those that were not.
-James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket
CHAPTER 2
Urban Renewal Marcus Mello & Lindsay Woodson
The findings reveal that the urban renewal processes in the three cities were unique in their implementation and tell a tale of three cases that had different effects on the location of Black populations in each city.
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00 PROBLEM
Blight \blit\ noun ; n neglected or substandard conditions of an urban area; often referring to housing The Housing Act of 1949 Public Law 171 (63 Stat. 413) Housing Act of 1949 also establishes as a national objective the achievement as soon as feasi“ The ble of a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family, and sets forth the
policies to be followed in advancing toward that goal. These policies are thoroughly consistent with American ideals and traditions. They recognize and preserve local responsibility, and the primary role of private enterprise, in meeting the Nation's housing needs.
�
President Harry S Truman, 1949
BALTIMORE
00
BOSTON
ADV 09201 / Map the Gap Research Seminar Fall Semester 2015 54
ST. LOUIS
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Implementation of Renewal & Responses The timeline below shows renewal activity in Baltimore, Boston, and St. Louis along with relevant federal legislation. As our timeline indicates, renewal efforts in Boston and St. Louis occurred largely in the 1950s and 1960s while many of Baltimore’s renewal projects were carried out in the early 1980s.
1980: Opening of Harborplace
1957 Boston Redevelopment Authority created by MA legislature 1958 First urban renewal project launched in West End
1930
1950
1940
1934 National Housing Act of 1934 creates FHA; provides loans to public agencies for slum clearance
1959 City Council approves Charles Center plan 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Act gives state and federal governments control over new highway construction
1943: Chapter 353 Urban Redevelopment Act passed
1954: U.S. Housing Act of 1954 provides FHA-backed mortgages to developers to incentivize redevelopment 1954: Pruitt-Igoe opens
FEDERAL BALTIMORE BOSTON ST. LOUIS
1981: Opening of National Aquarium
1965 Boston’s General Plan launched as city’s first comprehensive plan
1970
1968: Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act) passed 1966 Busch Stadium opens
1965 Gateway Arch completed
2005: Urban renewal districts extended for 10 years
1984: Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) birthed by residents to reclaim Dudley; granted eminent domain by BRA
1967 HUD approves Fenway Urban Renewal Plan
1960
2015: Boston launches “Imagine Boston 2030,” the first comprehensive plan in 50 years
1980
1990
2000
1979: Opening of Baltimore Convention Center
1975: Pruitt-Igoe demolished 1974: Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 establishes CDBG program
1949: U.S. Housing Act of 1949 kickstarts urban renewal, provides funds to cities to acquire and rebuild “slums” 56
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2010
2016: Boston Redevelopment Authority renamed Boston Planning and Development Agency 2020
1975 URBAN RENEWAL AREA
2015 URBAN RENEWAL OVERLAY
1945 URBAN RENEWAL ZONES
URBAN RENEWAL SITES
State Legislation Massachusetts General Law Chapter 121B
Municipal Code Special Zoning District U-District [Section 3-1A(b)]
State Legislation State Enterprise Zones
Municipal Code Chapter 353, 100 and 99
BOSTON RENEWAL DISTRICTS
ST. LOUIS RENEWAL DISTRICTS
Urban renewal was launched in 1957 with the redevelopment of the West End, in Boston. The city’s urban renewal powers were transferred from the Boston Housing Authority to the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which has centrally implemented renewal efforts. Designated districts extend along a northsouth axis through the city and cover many neighborhoods.
Urban redevelopment efforts began as early as the 1930s and were concentrated in the city’s downtown and waterfront, spreading in a north-west direction. Urban renewal has been implemented in a politically fragmented manner, often involving the creation of quasi public corporations that were granted the power of eminent domain.
6.1% 9.9%
2,408 acres
3,055 acres
58
59
Population :
418,951 Black 420,210 Black 431,151 Black 435,768 Black 418,951 Black 420,210 Black 431,151 Black 435,768 Black 418,951 Black / 651,154 Total 420,210 Black 431,151 Black / 905,759 Total / 786,775 Total 55% 46% 59% 64% 64% 435,768 Black / 736,014 Total / 651,154 Total / 905,759 Total 46% / 786,775 Total 55% 46% / 736,014 / 905,759 Total / 786,775 Total 59%Total 59% / 651,154 Total / 905,759 Total
46%
/ 786,775 Total
Baltimore’s urban renewal efforts have been implemented mostly in the city’s downtown and waterfront, mainly in areas containing a higher proportion of Black residents. Renewal in Baltimore began as early as the 1950s, but maps from the city’s planning department website begin in the 1970s. Renewal projects that continued into the 2000s have expanded from the city’s downtown into northwest and east/ southeastern parts of the city. The top row of pie charts highlight the number of black residents and versus the total city population at that time with the percentage of black residents shown in the pie charts. The middle row of maps show the spatial distribution of Baltimore’s renewal projects from the 1970s to the 2000s. The dense concentration of Black residents in the city’s “lungs” has intensified over the years.
1970s
55%
/ 736,014 Total
1980s
1970s1970s
64%
59%
1990s
1980s1980s
2000s
1990s1990s
The Black Migration From the 1970s to the 2000s, Baltimore’s Black population migrated in northwest and northeastern directions and became more concentrated in the city’s downtown. Baltimore’s overall population decreased over this time period by nearly 300,000 residents while the number of Black residents has remained nearly the same. The lower series of maps exhibit two different conditions. Map A, Urban Renewal Designations, show designated areas by year. Map B, Black Migration, show the concentration of Black population in the city at that time. As a single diagram, the maps simultaneously trace population movements over time in conjunction with designations by year. There is a spatial overlaying between renewal designations and Black migration.
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A Urban Renewal Designation
B
A
A
B
B
A
B
Black Migration
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Source: Census. American Community Survey 2013 (5 year estimates). Social Explorer website generated chloropleth maps. Population numbers retrieved from “Historical Census Statistics On Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For Large Cities And Other Urban Places In The United States”, Kay Jung and Campbell Gibson. Population Division, Working Paper 76. (2005) %
Population : Population :
Baltimore: Urban Renewal Over Time
2000s20
Population Population : :
Population : Population :
29,607 Black
121,595 Black 121,595 Black
52,696 Black
29,607 Black 52,696 Black 86,286 Black 86,286 Black 121,595/ Black 29,60729,607 Black Black 52,696 52,696 Black/ 697,197 Black21.6% Black /121,595 562,944 Total 562,944 Total / 801,444 Total3.7% / 697,197 Total7.6% 3.7% 12.3% 86,286 Black 21.6% / 801,444 Total Total 7.6% 86,286 Black / 641,071 Total 12.3% / 641,071 Total / 562,944 Total / 801,444 Total Total / 697,197 Total 7.6% 3.7% 3.7% 12.3% / 562,944 Total 21.6% While Boston’s black population grew over time, the city’s total / 641,071/ Total / 801,444 / 697,197 Total 7.6% 12.3% 641,071 Total
population decreased from 1950-1980. Over the same time frame, Boston’s Black population migrated southward through the city, into the areas that we see today.
The top row of pie charts highlight the raw number and percentage of black population in the city versus the total city population at that time. The middle row of maps show that the majority of urban renewal projects in Boston occurred in the late 1960s. This decade also signals a subtle movement of the Black population to southern portions of the city limit. The dense concentration of Black population originating in the city’s core began to expand in the 1970s.
The Black Migration
1950s 1950s
The lower series of maps exhibit two different conditions. Map A, Urban Renewal Designations, show designated areas by year. Map B, Black Migration, show the concentration of Black population in the city by year. As a single diagram, the series of maps simultaneously trace population movements over time in conjunction with designations by year.
A
B
1950s
1960s B
+
1960s
A
1970s B
+
+
+
1980s 1980s
1970s
+
+
+
+
Urban Renewal Designation
A
+
+
Urban renewal efforts in Boston occurred in many of the city’s neighborhoods and do not appear to have clustered around primarily Black neighborhoods, with the exception of Roxbury.
62
1950s
1970s 1970s
1960s 1960s
+
+
Black Migration
63
1980s A
B
Source: Census. American Community Survey 2013 (5 year estimates). Social Explorer website generated chloropleth maps. Population numbers retrieved from “Historical Census Statistics On Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For Large Cities And Other Urban Places In The United States”, Kay Jung and Campbell Gibson. Population Division, Working Paper 76. (2005) %
Boston: Urban Renewal Over Time
21.6%
1980s
Population : :: Population Population 214,377 Black 214,377 Black 214,377 Black 153,766 Black 153,766 Black 153,766 Black // 750,026 Total 28.6% / 750,026 Total 17.9% / /856,796 Total 750,026 Total 28.6% 28.6% / 856,796 Total 17.9% 856,796 Total17.9%
Urban renewal efforts in St. Louis have been centered around the city’s downtown, and unlike Boston, have clustered in and around primarily Black neighborhoods. While most of the urban renewal efforts in Boston occurred in the 1960s, efforts in St. Louis extended well into the 1980s and beyond through initiatives such as state and federal enterprise zones. The top row of pie charts, highlight the number and percentage of black population in the city versus the total city population at that time. The middle row of maps show that the majority of urban renewal projects in St Louis occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, a few years after Boston’s prime. The dense concentration of Black residents in the city’s core has only intensified as the years progressed.
1950s 1950s 1950s
254,191 Black 254,191 Black 254,191 40.9% / 622,236 Total 40.9% / 622,236 Total
206,306 Black 206,306 Black / 453,035 Total 45.5% / 453,035 Total 45.5% Total 45.5%
1970s 1970s 1970s
1960s 1960s 1960s
1980s 1980s 1980s
The Black Migration From 1940-1970, St. Louis’ Black population migrated west and north through both St. Louis City and St. Louis County. While St. Louis’ black population grew over time, the city’s population decreased from 19501970, similar to Boston. In St. Louis, renewal designations have expanded in a westward direction and appear to have been clustered in Black neighborhoods.
A Urban Renewal Designation MO
A
A
B
B
B
MO MO
B Black Migration 64
A
IL
IL IL
65
Source: Census. American Community Survey 2013 (5 year estimates). Social Explorer website generated chloropleth maps. Population numbers retrieved from “Historical Census Statistics On Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For Large Cities And Other Urban Places In The United States”, Kay Jung and Campbell Gibson. Population Division, Working Paper 76. (2005) %
St Louis: Urban Renewal Over Time
Boston, MA
Median Household Income
66
Median Housing Value
0 - 100%
Residential Vacancy
$0 - $100,000
$0 - 1,000,000
Median Housing Value
0 - 100%
Residential Vacancy
Median Household Income
67
$0 - $100,000
Black Population
Baltimore, MD
$0 - 1,000,000
Black Population
Conclusions
Black Population St Louis, MO
Our findings indicate that urban renewal efforts in the three cities have resulted in urban landscapes that have impacted local Black populations differently. While all three cities did not fully deliver on promises that the future would hold benefits for existing communities, Boston appears to have emerged from mid-late twentieth urban renewal projects without as many concentrations of poverty and vacancy as in Baltimore and St. Louis. Urban renewal in Boston was carried out by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), while efforts in Baltimore and St. Louis took on a more politically fragmented forms carried out largely by private developers. Parts of Baltimore in which renewal efforts occurred have higher concentrations of Black residents and lower median housingbvalues than other areas of the city. Urban Renewal in Boston resulted in above average property values, and lower than average concentrations of poverty and vacancy, as opposed to St. Louis where it resulted in concentrated poverty, higher than average vacancy, and some of the lowest land values in the city and county.
Median Housing Value
68
$0 - $100,000
Median Household Income
$0 - 1,000,000
0 - 100%
Residential Vacancy
Source: Social Explorer, 2014. http://www.socialexplorer.com/.
Boston has seen “successful” urban renewal results if recognizing current measures of moderate to high socioeconomic standing. St Louis and Baltimore have seen “unsuccessful” urban renewal due to low socioeconomic status within c current designations.
69
SOURCES
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Data Catalog.” http://data.hud.gov/data_sets.html.
Bierman, Noah and Tanfani, Joseph. “In Baltimore, riots appear where urban renewal didn’t,” Los Angeles Times. 2015.
von Hoffman, Alexander. “A Study in Contradictions: The Origins and Legacy of the Housing Act of 1949.” 2000. Fannie Mae Foundation. http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/hpd_1102_hoffman.pdf
Boston Redevelopment Authority. “Timeline.” Assessed Oct. 1, 2015. http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/about-us/ timeline Boston Redevelopment Authority. “Urban Renewal.” Assessed Oct. 1, 2015. http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/aboutus/timeline
Walters, Stephen J.K. and Miserendino, Louis. “Baltimore’s Flawed Renaissance: The Failure of Plan-Control-Subsidize Redevelopment.” Perspective on Eminent Domain Abuse, Vol. 3. 2008.
Chen, Michelle. “Can Neighborhoods Be Revitalized Without Gentrifying Them?” The Nation, 2016. City of Baltimore. “Planning/Master Plans, Maps & Publications/Urban Renewal Plans.” Assessed Oct. 10, 2015. http://archive. baltimorecity.gov/ The City of St. Louis Missouri. “Geospatial Research.” Assessed Sep. 25, 2015. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/ planning/research/Geospatial-Research.cfm Fowler, Daniel. “With Racial Segregation Declining Between Neighborhoods, Segregation Now Taking New Form.” American Sociological Association (ASA), 2014. Gordon, Colin. Mapping Decline: St. Louis and the Fate of the American City. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia. 2008. Print and web. Grippando, Thomas. “Anderson: The Federal Bulldozer: A Critical Analysis of Urban Renewal, 1949-1962.” DePaul University Law Review, Vol. 14, Issue 2 Spring-Summer 1965. Rogers, David. “Baltimore adds drama to GOP cuts for urban renewal programs,” Politico, 2015. Schwartz, Gary T. “Urban Freeways and the Interstate System.” Transportation Law Journal, Vol. 8. 1976. Social Explorer. www.socialexplorer.com. Used to create demographic mappings. Spiers, John H. “‘Planning with People’: Urban Renewal in Boston’s Washington Park, 1950-1970.” Journal of Planning History, Vol. 8, No. 3, August 2009. United States Census Bureau. “American FactFinder.” Last modified December 3, 2015. Accessed December 10, 2015. http:// factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk. United States Census Bureau. “TIGER/Line with Selected Demographic and Economic Data.” Last modified 2015. Accessed October 1, 2015. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tiger-data.html.
70
71
In 1954, The Supreme Court voted in favor of Oliver L. Brown in the lawsuit against the Board of
“Here we are, 60 years after Brown v. Board of Education, and the data altogether still show a picture of gross inequality in educational opportunity.
Education to end school segregation. The court determined that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” and that segregation violates “equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the 14th amendment.” Since this case all youth have been constitutionally guaranteed “equal educational opportunity” but the reality is that despite this ruling more than 6 decades ago, most youth still find access to education and educational resources in highly segregated circumstances. The chapter of “Map the Gap” examines the problem of racial segregation in education through how county and district lines are being used to re-segregate our public-school systems. By examining the invisible spatial lines that delimit who has access to educational resources, facilities, and programming, the chapter of “Map the Gap” brings light to both the cause and consequences of contemporary segregation on youth and illustrate how systems of inequity have been purposefully manufactured and reinforced despite shared national values that claim otherwise. This chapter will examine these problems from the municipal level by exploring the ways in which public-school systems are segregated across county boundaries and by analyzing how this segregation affects issues of attainment and access to upper-level classes for youth within segregated schools. Over the decades that followed the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, counties were mandated to implement systems of educational de-segregation which would integrate the student populations of spatially segregated communities. However, as this de-segregation process became normalized, the cause of segregation shifted from one linked to overt judicial discrimination to one reliant on municipal divisions. By linking school districts to county and city lines, state and county governments have deepened achievement gaps, divided resources, and reinforced racial isolation. Thus, it is the purpose of this chapter to call into question the power held by these county lines to actualize and enforce inequitable educational systems across our nation.
72
-Daniel J. Losen, UCLA’s Civil Rights Project
CHAPTER 3
Education Caroline Filice Smith
73
Districts as a Territory: Boston Left: Boston Area Public School Districts MEDFORD
“We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” —Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
4,590 students EVERETT
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
6,906 students CHELSEA
CAMBRIDGE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
6,361 students
SOMERVILLE
6,118 students
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
4,940 students
WATERTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2,708 students
NEWTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
12,601 students BROOKLINE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
7,288 students
BOSTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
57,968 students
DEDHAM
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2,818 students
MILTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
3,944 students
74
75
Manufacture Enclaves: Boston Left: Boston Area Public School Districts Mapped by Percentage of Student Population that is Black
MEDFORD
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
16%
EVERETT
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
17%
BLACK
Below: Boston De-Segregation Order
BLACK CHELSEA
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CAMBRIDGE WATERTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
9%
4%
SOMERVILLE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
28%
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
22%
BLACK
BLACK
BLACK
BLACK
NEWTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2%
BROOKLINE
BLACK
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2% BLACK
BOSTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
40%
BLACK
MILTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
17%
BLACK
DEDHAM
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
5%
BOSTON DE-SEGREGATION ORDER’S
BLACK
1974 OPENED 76
77
1987 CLOSED
EVERETT
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SOMERVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Segregation Points: Boston
CHELSEA
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CAMBRIDGE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
WATERTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Left: Demographic Breakdown of Boston Area Highschools
NEWTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
MEDFORD
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Below: Boston Area Highschools Graphed by Segregation Levels vs Percentage of Students Scoring a ‘Proficient’ on Statewide Standardized Tests
BROOKLINE
EVERETT
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SOMERVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CHELSEA
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
WATERTOWN
CAMBRIDGE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BOSTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Nearly half of our nation’s African American students, nearly 40% of Latino students, and only 11% of white students attend high schools in which graduation is not the norm” —Robert Blafanz and Nettie Legters
BROOKLINE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
MILTON
DEDHAM
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BOSTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
G
Black Hispanic Asian White 78
100%
STATE TESTING
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
50%
proficiency
MILTON
DEDHAM
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
100%
SEGREGATION
100%
79
0%
NEWTON
BOSTON
Newton South West Roxbury HIGHSCHOOL
ACADEMY
ton
New 48% black 10% white 39% hispanic 1% asian
black 5% white 66% hispanic 5% asian 20% PROFICIENCY
math 93% english 96%
1.5 miles 40% math 62% english
economically Disadvantaged
78%
10%
78%
% Proficient
2.1 miles
50%
STUDENT #
1,722
o
Br
e
in
l ok
651
per-pupil spending
MILTON
BOSTON
$19,146
$22,941
BROOKLINE
Milton Boston Prep HIGHSCHOOL
CHARTER
PROFICIENCY
math 93% english 96%
HIGHSCHOOL
65% black 4% white 26% hispanic 0% asian
black 24% white 64% hispanic 5% asian 5%
18%
69%
% Proficient
100% math 100% english
86%
15%
67%
% Proficient
1.7 miles
False Boundaries: Boston
n
to Mil
84%
Left: Side-By-Side Comparison of Schools Existing Across District ‘Lines’
STUDENT #
365
1,803
per-pupil spending
$14,481
80% math 90% english
economically Disadvantaged
100%
B
41% black 6% white 46% hispanic 4% asian PROFICIENCY
math 94% english 97%
STUDENT #
998
t os
HIGHSCHOOL
black 8% white 60% hispanic 10% asian 15%
economically Disadvantaged
85%
on
BOSTON
Brookline Fenway
320
per-pupil spending
$17,546
$18,699
80
$22,941
Above: Map of Schools Being Compared 81
Districts as a Territory: St. Louis Left: St. Louis Area Public School Districts “The ZIP code is the anchor that traps you.” —Nikole Hannah-Jones
RIVERVIEW GARDENS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
FERGUSON-FLORISSANT
5,009 students
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
12,056 students JENNINGS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2,582 students RITENOUR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
6,369 students
NORMANDY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
3,282 students
UNIVERSITY CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
3,146 students
ST. LOUIS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
LADUE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
4,094 students
27,017 students
CLAYTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2,587 students BRENTWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
810 students
MAPLEWOODRICHMOND HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1,326 students
WEBSTER GROVES KIRKWOOD
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
5,919 students
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
4,573 students AFFTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2,522 students BAYLESS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1,649 students HANCOCK PLACE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1,535 students
82
83
Manufacture Enclaves: St. Louis Left: St. Louis Area Public School Districts Mapped by Percentage of Student Population that is Black RIVERVIEW GARDENS
Below: St. Louis Area De-Segregation Orders
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
90%
FERGUSON-FLORISSANT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
76%
BLACK
BLACK
JENNINGS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
96%
RITENOUR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
37%
BLACK
BLACK
NORMANDY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
93%
BLACK
UNIVERSITY CITY
ST. LOUIS CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
62%
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
75%
BLACK
BLACK
CLAYTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
11%
LADUE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
10%
BLACK
BRENTWOOD
BLACK
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
5% BLACK
WEBSTER GROVES PUBLIC SCHOOLS
16%
BLACK
MAPLEWOOD RICHMOND HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
20% BLACK
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
6%
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
11%
BLACK
DE-SEGREGATION ORDER’S
BAYLESS
KIRKWOOD
BLACK
AFFTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1%
1983 OPENED
HANCOCK PLACE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1%
BLACK
BLACK
84
1999 CLOSED 85
ST LOUIS CITY BAYLESS AFFTON RITENOUR HANCOCK PLACE LADUE
Segregation Points: St. Louis
JENNINGS
RITENOUR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
NORMANDY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Left: Demographic Breakdown of St. Louis ST. LOUIS CITY Area Highschools PUBLIC SCHOOLS
UNIVERSITY CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
LADUE
RIVERVIEW GARDENS
FERGUSON-FLORISSANT
Below: St. Louis Area Highschools Graphed by Segregation Levels vs Percentage of Students Scoring a ‘Proficient’ on Statewide Standardized Tests
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CLAYTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BRENTWOOD
JENNINGS
RITENOUR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
MAPLEWOODRICHMOND
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
NORMANDY
HEIGHTS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Most black kids will not be shot by the police. But many of them will go to a school like Michael Brown’s [Normandy]” —Nikole Hannah-Jones
KIRKWOOD
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ST. LOUIS CITY
UNIVERSITY CITY
LADUE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
WEBSTER GROVES
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BAYLESS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CLAYTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AFFTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BRENTWOOD
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
MAPLEWOODRICHMOND
HEIGHTS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HANCOCK PLACE
KIRKWOOD
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AFFTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Black Hispanic Asian White
HANCOCK PLACE
G
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
86
100%
STATE TESTING
BAYLESS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
100%
50%
proficiency
WEBSTER GROVES
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SEGREGATION
100%
87
0%
NORMANDY
ST. LOUIS CITY
“About half of black male students at Normandy High never graduate. Just one in four graduates makes it to a four-year college....Just five miles down the road from Normandy lies Clayton, the wealthy county seat where a grand jury recently deliberated the fate of Darren Wilson, the officer who killed Mr. Brown. Success there looks very different. The Clayton public schools are predominantly white, with almost no poverty to speak of. The district is regularly ranked in the top 10 percent in the state. More than 96 percent of its students graduate. Eighty-four percent head to fouryear universities. “ —Nikole Hannah-Jones
Normandy Transportation HIGHSCHOOL
AND LAW HIGHSCHOOL
PROFICIENCY
math 09% english 25%
Normandy
99% black 1% white 0% hispanic 0% asian
black 97% white 2% hispanic 1% asian 0%
University
37% math 32% english
2.5 miles
City
% Proficient
Ci
69%
36%
.L ou is
18%
ty
economically Disadvantaged
75%
MAPLEWOODRICHMOND HEIGHTS
St
STUDENT #
357
997
per-pupil spending
$12,893
ST. LOUIS CITY
$15,018
CLAYTON
Maplewood Cleveland
RICHMOND HEIGHTS HIGH.
UNIVERSITY CITY
Clayton University
NJROTC HIGHSCHOOL
HIGHSCHOOL
CITY SENIOR HIGHSCHOOL
1.3 miles
Clayton
80% black 13% white 5% hispanic 3% asian
black 43% white 47% hispanic 4% asian 1% PROFICIENCY
math 65% english 68%
PROFICIENCY
math 74% english 79%
41% math 34% english
economically Disadvantaged
56%
48%
65%
% Proficient
47%
33%
26% math 44% english
False Boundaries: St. Louis
60%
4%
% Proficient
30%
Left: Side-By-Side Comparison of Schools Existing Across District ‘Lines’
STUDENT #
344
672
per-pupil spending
$16,317
Map lew Rich ood mon Heig d hts
economically Disadvantaged
STUDENT #
341
85% black 11% white 2% hispanic 1% asian
black 6% white 78% hispanic 3% asian 13%
2.8 miles
841
per-pupil spending
$15,018
$21,954
88
$14,436
Above: Map of Schools Being Compared 89
Districts as a Territory: Baltimore Left: Baltimore Area Public School Districts
BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
108,191 students
“Nationally, the achievement gap between black and white students, which greatly narrowed during the era in which schools grew more integrated, widened as they became less so.” —Nikole Hannah-Jones BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
84,730 students
52,806 students
ANN ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
78,489 students
90
91
Manufacture Enclaves: Baltimore Left: Baltimore Area Public School Districts Mapped by Percentage of Student Population that is Black Below: Baltimore Area De-Segregation Orders
BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
36% BLACK BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
20% BLACK
83% BLACK
ANN ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
19% BLACK
DE-SEGREGATION ORDER’S
1976 1973 1965 1966 92
93
BALTIMORE CITY status: OPEN
BALTIMORE COUNTY status: OPEN
HOWARD COUNTY status: OPEN
ANN ARUNDEL COUNTY status: OPEN
Segregation Points: Baltimore
BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Left: Demographic Breakdown of Baltimore Area Highschools BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Below: Baltimore Area Highschools Graphed by Segregation Levels vs Percentage of Students Scoring a ‘Proficient’ on Statewide Standardized Tests
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ANN ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ANN ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
94
STATE TESTING
50%
proficiency
Black Hispanic Asian White
100%
SEGREGATION 100%
100%
95
0%
BALTIMORE COUNTY
BALTIMORE CITY
HIGHSCHOOL
F. LEWIS HIGHSCHOOL
BALTIMORE CITY Towson Towson Reginald Reginald
BALTIMORE COUNTY
HIGHSCHOOL
2.3 miles
F. LEWIS HIGHSCHOOL
2.3 miles
“The number of apartheid schools nationwide has mushroomed from 2,762 in 1988—the peak of school integration—to 6,727 in 2011.” —Nikole Hannah-Jones
Baltimore County Baltimore County Baltimore City
1% hispanic 0% asian 38% math
38% english
Disadvantaged
math 98% english 97%
95%
19%
65%
% Proficient economically Disadvantaged
BALTIMORE COUNTY
BALTIMORE CITY
Dundalk Patterson HIGHSCHOOL
BALTIMORE COUNTY
38%
19% AP CLASSES 65%
29
% STUDENT Proficient#
HIGHSCHOOL
1 38%
BALTIMORE COUNTY
BALTIMORE CITY
HIGHSCHOOL
INDUSTRIES ACADEMY
Lansdowne Maritime
1,428 407 AP CLASSES
per-pupil spending 29$15,114 1 $17,331
BALTIMORE CITY
Dundalk Patterson HIGHSCHOOL
95%
38% math 38% english
1,428
1.8 miles
BALTIMORE COUNTY
BALTIMORE CITY
HIGHSCHOOL
INDUSTRIES ACADEMY
Lansdowne Maritime
STUDENT #
HIGHSCHOOL
$14,844
PROFICIENCY economically
PER PUPIL SPENDING:
PROFICIENCY
$14,844
hispanic 4%
asian 9% math 98% english 97%
PER PUPIL SPENDING:
96% black 2% white 96% black 1% hispanic 0% asian 2% white
black 21% white 64% black 21%4% hispanic asian 9% white 64%
Baltimore City
407
1.8 miles 1.6 miles
per-pupil spending
$15,114
PROFICIENCY
68% black
black 26% white 58% hispanic 10% asian 2%
67%
14%80% hispanic 6% asian37%
12
7
STUDENT #
77%
1,253 economically Disadvantaged
1,016
$15,114
$17,331 37%
67%
80%
AP CLASSES
12
math 72% english 66%
36% math 41% english
7
40% math 32% english
96% black 3% white .5% hispanic .5% asian
AP CLASSES PROFICIENCY
18
1.6 miles
2
False Boundaries: Baltimore 40% math 32% english
STUDENT #
Left: Side-By-Side Comparison of Schools Existing Across District ‘Lines’
1,216 economically 417 Disadvantaged
57%
per-pupil spending
per-pupil spending
% Proficient
PROFICIENCY
black 30% economically white 51%Disadvantaged 57% 80% hispanic 10% 61% asian 8% % Proficient 36%
% Proficient
AP CLASSES PROFICIENCY
math 81% english 78%
math 72% english 66%
36% math 41% english
economically 11% white Disadvantaged
77%
96% black 3% white .5% hispanic .5% asian
black 30% white 51% hispanic 10% asian 8%
68% black 11% white 14% hispanic 6% asian
black 26% white 58% hispanic 10% asian 2%
math 81% english 78%
$17,331
$15,114 61%
96
$17,331
80%
% Proficient AP CLASSES
18
2
36%
Above: Map of Schools Being Compared 97
Conclusions
SOURCES
Finding One. The Status of a given districts De-Segregation order is seemingly meaningless. While the lack of a standing de-segregation order may provide an extra hurdle to citizens seeking to challenge, through the courts, the levels of segregation persisting within their region, it is important to note that even in districts and counties where orders still stand, ‘apartheid’ schools not only exist but are becoming increasingly normalized.
Boston Desegregation Order: Pro Publica: https://projects.propublica.org/data-store/ City of Boston: http://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/guide%20to%20the%20desegregation-era%20records%20 collection_tcm3-23340.pdf Per-Pupil Spending + District Demographics: National Center for Education Statistics: http://nces.ed.gov/ High school Level Data: U.S.: News and World Report: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools
Finding Two: Municipal boundaries are a key factor in understanding the ways in which segregation is manufactured, and access to ‘“pportunity” is controlled, across regional territories. While the seminal Brown vs. Board of Education ruling attempted to terminate decades of judicially legitimized public school segregation, the implementation of this ruling has led to a type of segregation which has shifted from being a product of clearly demarcated racist policies to a system of ‘boundary’ making in which discriminatory intent is much harder to prove. Finding Three: The current system of ‘choice’ or ‘magnet’ schools found in both St. Louis City and Baltimore City is failing. While on the surface these systems have a functional similarity to the Boston area lottery-school program, the outcomes are drastically different. I would argue that to fully unfold these differences a broader understanding of how each city’s history of discriminatory policy making has evolved to the present day should be a key point of analysis. What is clear is that by simply shifting students around within the boundary of their failing district the problem is not being solved. Finding Four: The ‘Gap’ and the ‘Boundary’ are politically and economically manufactured and should be treated as such. District boundaries, and the opportunity gaps created and reinforced by them, are not the products of insurmountable topographies but are instead inherently changeable features of larger strategic political economies. Therefore, the question becomes: by whom and for whom are these lines drawn?
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St. Louis Desegregation Order: Pro Publica: https://projects.propublica.org/data-store/ Per-Pupil Spending + District Demographics: National Center for Education Statistics: http://nces.ed.gov/ High school Level Data: U.S.: News and World Report: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools Baltimore Desegregation Order: Baltimore City + Baltimore County: Pro Publica: https://projects.propublica.org/data-store/ Anne Arundel County: https://www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall/usccr/documents/cr12s1966.pdf Howard County: 1] https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/hcpssmd/archive. nsf/2e010f82a76b56d485256e7400431d45/8721ff51f08702c08725761f0043e35c/$FILE/01-05-1965%20-%2012-13-1965.pdf 2] http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/ellicott-city/ph-ho-cf-desegregation-schools-anniversary-092420150922-story.html Per-Pupil Spending + District Demographics: National Center for Education Statistics: http://nces.ed.gov/ High school Level Data: U.S.: News and World Report: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools Quotations http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/5-decision/courts-decision.html http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED484525.pdf http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/562/transcript http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/21/sunday-review/why-are-our-schools-still-segregated.html?_r=0 https://www.propublica.org/article/segregation-now-full-text
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The fourth chapter examines reliance on public transportation to access work in the three
“Transportation determines whether the unemployed can reach jobs. It affects how long workers must commute — and the time they lose with their families. It affects air quality and housing options and where children go to school.”
case cities. Freddie Gray, Marquis Barker, and Michael Brown’s stories vary when considering their access to transit and mobility. Gray lived just a ten minute walk from Baltimore’s subway line, the location where Barker was shot is a 25 minute walk from Boston’s red line, and Michael Brown’s community was not within walking distance to St. Louis’s rail infrastructure.
-Emily Badger, The Washington Post
Baltimore’s light rail line, Boston’s subway, and St. Louis’s light rail serve each city’s Black population to varying degrees of success.
CHAPTER 4
Job Access & Mobility Joshua Jow, Dayita Kurvey, Dana McKinney
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5%
Baltimore Public Transportation
0%
25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Block Group of Gray’s Death
Black Population
Non-White Population
Baltimore
Public Transportation The fatal encounter’s block group demonstrated less of a reliance on public transportation to access work than the Black and non-White communities, and the other two cities.
Transit stop with 10 minute walking radius Use public transit to commute to work 0%
100%
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10% 5%
Boston Public Transportation
0%
60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Block Group of Barker’s Death
Black Population
Non-White Population
Boston
Public Transportation The fatal encounter block group where Barker died relies significantly more on public transportation to travel to work. The reliance on public transportation in the fatal encounter block group is 18.4% higher than the Black community and 23.7% higher than the overall city.
Transit stop with 10 minute walking radius Use public transit to commute to work 0%
100%
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10% 5%
St. Louis Public Transportation
0%
30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Block Group of Brown’s Death
Black Population
Non-White Population
St. Louis
Public Transportation The block group in which Brown was killed demonstrates the strongest use of public transportation to commute to work than the Black and non-White neighborhoods and the city overall, more than twice that of the Black areas.
Transit stop with 10 minute walking radius Use public transit to commute to work 0%
100%
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Acknowledgements
The following students’ work is featured in this book:
Joshua Jow (Harvard GSD, MArch II 2016) Dayita Kurvey (Harvard GSD, MArch II 2016) Marcus Mello (Harvard GSD, MArch I & MUP 2018) Dana McKinney (Harvard GSD, MArch I & MUP 2017) Caroline Filice Smith (Harvard GSD, MAUD 2017) Lindsay Woodson (Harvard GSD, MDes & MUP 2017)
Advisor: Stephen Gray, Assistant Professor of Urban Design
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