Race And The Politics Of Deception: The Making Of An American City

Unpacks America’s history of dealing with racial problems through the inequitable use of public space. Focuses on Chester, Pennsylvania—a small city comprised of primarily low-income, black residents, roughly twenty miles south of Philadelphia. Like many cities throughout the United States, Chester is experiencing post-industrial decline. A development plan touted as a way to “save” the city, proposes to turn one section into a desirable waterfront destination, while leaving the rest of the struggling residents in fractured communities. Dividing the city into spaces of tourism and consumption versus the everyday spaces of low-income residents. While these development plans are described as socially inclusive and economically revitalizing, Mele asserts that political leaders and real estate developers intentionally exclude certain types of people—most often, low-income people of color.

• | Author: Christopher Mele
• | Publisher: NYU Press
• | Publication Date: Jan 10, 2017
• | Number of Pages: 208 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Hardcover/Social Science
• | ISBN-10: 1479866091
• | ISBN-13: 9781479866090