Symposium
Racially and Ethnically Diverse Urban Neighborhoods
From the Secretary
Andrew Cuomo, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
The founding premise of our Nation was opportunity for all. That is our goal. If we are to succeed in our pursuit of that goal,
we must tear down the barriers that divide us: We must reject the attitudes and prejudices, the stereotypes and discrimination,
that are so destructive of a truly unified people.
Ours is a richly diverse Nation, and it is in our common interest to celebrate what unites us -- the fundamental values, the
dreams and aspirations -- rather than dwell on what sets us apart. Working together, we can reach what President Clinton calls
"One America" -- one Nation, one community, sharing the benefits and responsibilities of a common effort and a proud
heritage.
It is a regrettable fact that most metropolitan areas harbor enclaves of isolation that condemn residents to poverty and
despair. These enclaves represent a failed model of community building, but there is another, more successful model in our urban
centers: stable, diverse communities that until now have been largely overlooked.
This issue of Cityscape contains case studies of 14 racially and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in 9 cities, along
with grassroots strategies and public- and private-sector roles for maintaining them. Activities within these communities support
jobs, education, and housing for all residents -- opportunity for all.
We at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offer this issue of Cityscape in the hope that it will prove
enlightening to our readers. We believe it can be especially useful to those directly involved in local community-building
activities and the pursuit of an urban tomorrow that promises a better quality of life for all Americans.
From the Editor
Xavier de Souza Briggs, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research, Evaluation, and Monitoring.
This issue of Cityscape differs from all that have preceded it. Instead of presenting a group of articles on a specific
theme, this volume contains a single, unique study of stable, racially and ethnically diverse urban communities.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development worked with the Policy Research Action Group (PRAG) to study the factors
central to creating and sustaining viable, inclusive, diverse, stable urban neighborhoods. In each of nine cities presented here,
PRAG coordinated a team of researchers and local community-based partners to: interview residents, businesspeople, and community
leaders; review key documents; and otherwise assess the basis for diversity and stability within these special neighborhoods.
Each team also drew on prior studies and census analyses.
Two distinct models of stable, diverse communities emerge from this study. The first model includes deliberate efforts to
maintain a balance of African-American and Caucasian residents in an already self-aware, middle-income neighborhood. The second
model is reflected in a multi-ethnic, multiracial neighborhood -- "beyond black and white" -- that focuses on a community
identity and on maintaining economic and racial stability as a byproduct of other assets.
Given the considerable -- and constant -- media emphasis on forces that destabilize and segregate urban communities, this
encouraging study of diversity protected, even celebrated, may pleasantly surprise as well as inform Cityscape
readers.
Advisory Board
Editor: Xavier de Souza Briggs
Managing Editor: William F. Heenan
Guest Editors: John Goering, Gregory Squire
Elijah Anderson
University of Pennsylvania
Roy Bahl
Georgia State University
Ann Bowman
University of South Carolina
Henry Coleman
Rutgers University
Greg Duncan
University of Michigan
Amy Glasmeier
Pennsylvania State University
Norman J. Glickman
Rutgers University
Harvey Goldstein
University of North Carolina
Jane Gravelle
Congressional Research Service
|
Bennett Harrison
New School for Social Research
Steven P. Hornburg
Fannie Mae Foundation
Helen F. Ladd
Duke University
Wilhelmina A. Leigh
Joint Center for Political and
Economic Studies
Laurence E. Lynn, Jr.
University of Chicago
Sandra Newman
Johns Hopkins University
John Tuccillo
National Association of Realtors
Avis Vidal
New School for Social Research
Don Villarejo
California Institute for Rural Studies
|
Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research strives to share HUD-funded and other research on housing and
urban policy issues with scholars, government officials, and others involved in setting policy and determining the direction of
future research.
Cityscape focuses on innovative ideas, policies, and programs that show promise in revitalizing cities and regions,
renewing their infrastructure, and creating economic opportunities. A typical issue consists of articles that examine various
aspects of a theme of particular interest to our audience.
Chapter 1: Neighborhood Racial and Ethnic Diversity in U.S. Cities
by Philip Nyden, John Lukehart, Michael T. Maly, and William Peterman
Chapter 2: Overview of the 14 Neighborhoods Studied
by Philip Nyden, John Lukehart, Michael T. Maly, and William Peterman
Chapter 3: West Mount Airy, Philadelphia
by Barbara Ferman, Theresa Singleton, and Don DeMarco
Chapter 4: Vollintine-Evergreen, Memphis
by Michael Kirby
Chapter 5: Park Hill, Denver
by Katherine Woods
Chapter 6: Sherman Park, Milwaukee
by Edward Valent and Gregory Squires
Chapter 7: Rogers Park, Edgewater, Uptown, and Chicago Lawn, Chicago
by Michael T. Maly and Michael Leachman
Chapter 8: Jackson Heights, New York
by Philip Kasinitz, Mohamad Bazzi, and Randal Doane
Chapter 9: Fort Greene, New York
by Jan Rosenberg
Chapter 10: Ethnic Diversity in Southeast Seattle
by Andrew Gordon, Hubert Locke, and Cy Ulberg
Chapter 11: San Antonio and Fruitvale
by Mona Younis
Chapter 12: Houston Heights
by Karl Eschback, Jacqueline Maria Hagan, Nestor P. Rodriguez, and Anna Zakos
Chapter 13: Conclusion
by Philip Nyden, John Lukehart, Michael T. Maly, and William Peterma
Cityscape is published three times a year by the Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) of the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. Subscriptions are available at no charge and single copies at a nominal fee.
The journal is also available on line at http://www.
huduser.gov/periodicals/cityscape.html.
PD&R welcomes submissions to the Refereed Papers section of the journal. Our referee process is double blind and timely,
and our referees are highly qualified. The managing editor will also respond to authors who submit outlines of proposed
papers regarding the suitability of those proposals for inclusion in Cityscape. Send manuscripts or outlines to
Cityscape@hud.gov.
Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and
policies of HUD or the U.S. government.
Visit PD&R’s website, www.huduser.gov, to find this publication and
others sponsored by PD&R. Other services of HUD USER, PD&R’s research information service, include listservs, special
interest and bimonthly publications (best practices and significant studies from other sources), access to public use
databases, and a hotline (800–245–2691) for help with accessing the information you need.
|