| Municipal governments have “good government” tools to structure their local political geography |
- Annexation, zoning, redevelopment, etc.
- The tools are meant to optimize economic & social benefit
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Abuse results from the potential for economic and political benefit for elite portions of the population |
- Racial & ethnic discrimination, especially
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Such abuse can be invisible on the ground and may remained cryptic for generations |
- … Until the advent of widespread public geospatial databases, to reveal these patterns
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| Government decisions define / affect the city in these ways:
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- Provision of infrastructure
- Municipal boundaries & annexation
- Code enforcement
- Redevelopment zones
- Zoning and other land use regulations
- School Assignment Boundaries
- “At-large” vs. “by-district” elections
- Fair housing policy
- Extraterritorial jurisdiction
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Racial zoning. Dallas, TX, instituted racial zone in 1944, long after it was illegal. This map highlights the "Negro Districts," such as "N-4 Wahoo", shown as horizontal ruling on the official maps. These areas received very limited urban services.  |