Urban Affairs Review current issue

Is Class Becoming a More Important Determinant of Neighborhood Attainment for African-Americans?

Freeman, L. — 2008-08-14

In the wake of the civil rights era, it is generally thought that the importance of class in determining social outcomes has increased. The extent to which this is true for locational outcomes, however, is unclear. This article examines how Blacks' ability to translate individual characteristics into locational outcomes changed over the period from 1970 to 2000. The results presented here show that higher socioeconomic status Blacks have more White neighbors, fewer poor neighbors, and live in neighborhoods with higher housing values. This pattern was evident in 1970, however, and appears to have changed little over time. To the extent Blacks are living in more integrated and higher-status neighborhoods, it appears to be because their socioeconomic status is improving. Their ability to translate their status into locational outcomes remained static.

Examining Local Government Service Delivery Arrangements Over Time

Lamothe, S., Lamothe, M., Feiock, R. C. — 2008-08-14

While scholars of local service delivery arrangements are fully aware the process is dynamic, research has tended to take the form of cross-sectional studies that are inherently static in nature. In this article, the authors model the determinants of production mode accounting for past delivery decisions. They find, not surprisingly, that there are strong inertial effects; previous delivery mode is a strong predictor of the current service delivery arrangement. More interestingly, the impact of the transaction cost nature of services on production choice is conditioned on past decisions, such as the extent of contracting and the type of vendors used. There is also evidence that contract management capacity and the competitiveness of the contracting environment are influential.

Good Intentions, Unintended Consequences: Impact of Adker Consent Decree on Miami-Dade County's Subsidized Housing

Ganapati, S., Frank, H. — 2008-08-14

In this article, we assess the impact of the Adker consent decree, a federal desegregation agreement implemented since 1999. It requires that Miami-Dade County public-housing offers be initially made on the basis of race and that half of the eligible turnover of Section 8 vouchers be given to former or current Black public-housing residents. Although well intentioned, the decree has had unintended consequences. The decree had mixed impact on desegregating public housing; it increased public-housing vacancy; it achieved modest desegregation among Section 8 voucher recipients; and it added considerable costs to the housing agency's operations.

Male Nonemployment in White, Black, Hispanic, and Multiethnic Urban Neighborhoods, 1970-2000

Wagmiller, R. L. — 2008-08-14

Many social problems in urban neighborhoods are rooted in high rates of male nonemployment. Past research suggests that male joblessness is a problem largely in low–income, Black neighborhoods. In contrast, this study reports that increases in male nonemployment over the past 30 years have been more widely distributed across urban neighborhoods. Although rates of male joblessness rose most sharply in low–income Black neighborhoods, more advantaged Black neighborhoods and low–income to moderate–income Hispanic and multiethnic neighborhoods also experienced substantial increases. Multivariate models highlight the important role that changes in the economy played in the growth of male nonemployment in low–income and moderate– income neighborhoods.

The Influence of Nonprofit Networks on Local Affordable Housing Funding: Findings from a National Survey of Local Public Administrators

Silverman, R. M. — 2008-08-14

This article examines public administrators' perceptions of the effects of nonprofit networks on local affordable housing decisions. It builds on a larger body of research concerning the affordable housing activities of community-based organizations (CBOs). This analysis is based on a national survey of public administrators responsible for affordable housing programs in U.S. cities with populations over 100,000. The survey included questions about: CBO performance, factors influencing CBO funding decisions, and local government structure. This article provides insights into decision-making surrounding CBO funding at the local level. These insights improve our understanding of the connection between public administrators' perceptions, funding patterns, and interorganizational relations.

Book Review: Transforming the City: Community Organizing and the Challenge of Political Change, by Marion Orr (ed.). Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2007. 264 pp. $40.00 (cloth), $19.95 (paper)

Leo Owens, M. — 2008-08-14

Book Review: Green Cities: Urban Growth and the Environment, by Matthew E. Kahn. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, 2006. 160 pp. $44.95 (cloth), $18.95 (paper)

Mazmanian, D. A. — 2008-08-14

Book Review: Racial Diversity and Social Capital: Equality and Community in America, by Rodney E. Hero. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. 218 pp. $55.00 (cloth); $19.99 (paper)

Liu, B. — 2008-08-14