SACRPH’s quarterly publication, the Journal of Planning History, provides a scholarly outlet for the growing multidisciplinary cadre of academics and practitioners in the broad field of planning history. This month, check out “Exposing Freeway Inequalities in the Suburbs: The Cases of Pasadena and Pacoima” by Andres F. Ramirez, Emmanuel Proussaloglou, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, and Jacob L. Wasserman. “U.S. freeways have come under scrutiny for their adverse impacts on low-income neighborhoods of color, primarily in urban centers. This article offers a comparative historical analysis of the impact of freeways on two communities in Southern California, which were ethnically diverse suburbs. Planning authorities in Pasadena and Pacoima chose freeway routes that displaced a greater share of households of color than the proposed alternatives. Meanwhile, neighboring white, wealthier communities successfully influenced routing decisions in consequential ways. Beyond the visible and immediate effects of the freeways, social inequity and environmental degradation persist in both neighborhoods today.”
About the Author
