Connecting Community Control of Infrastructure and Economic Development with Race and Privilege

Abstract

This brief essay will address the connection between community control of local development and race and privilege within the context of community economic development. It will focus first on transportation infrastructure, and second on economic development programs. Transportation infrastructure and economic development often are discussed together. My hope in addressing each here is that current efforts to regain community control of transportation infrastructure planning and economic development have obvious connections to race and privilege. Before examining how race and privilege impact efforts to achieve community control of transportation infrastructure and economic development, I will discuss several methodological tools to aid in this investigation.

Note: ©2019. Journal of Affordable Housing, Vol. 28, No. 2, 2019, by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association or the copyright holder.

Keywords: community economic development, infrastructure, community control, participation