Divided by Design

Part 1: Historic Inequities

Atlanta’s story

Washington, DC’s story

Part II: Today’s Inequities

Part A

Value of Time

Level of Service

Land Use and Housing Policy

Part B

The Toll of Traffic

Road Expansion

Part III: Recommendations

Final Word

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Beginning in the 1950s, highways devastated communities of color and changed our cities forever. But the consequences continue, even as we begin to acknowledge our past mistakes. Why?
Our new report examines the racist roots of our current transportation system, revealing that flawed thinking continues to haunt our policies and practices. Without a fundamental change to the overall approach to transportation, today’s leaders and transportation professionals, no matter their intent, will perpetuate and exacerbate the damage. <a href="/signature-reports/divided-by-design/">Read the report.</a>
<h3>A guide to this report:</h3>
<a href="/signature-reports/divided-by-design/part-1-historic-inequities/">Part I</a> examines the damage and inequities deliberately created by and in the federal transportation program from ~1950 onward. It concludes with a unique analysis of both an unbuilt and built highway segment within <a href="/signature-reports/divided-by-design/atlantas-story/">Atlanta</a> and <a href="/signature-reports/divided-by-design/washington-dcs-story/">Washington, DC</a> to quantify what was lost, who bore the brunt of the damage, and what could have been lost with highways that were never built.
<a href="/signature-reports/divided-by-design/part-2-todays-inequities/">Part II</a> examines our current transportation program to demonstrate how the programs, standards, models, and measures have their roots in the previous era and exacerbate inequities—whether intentional or not.
<a href="/signature-reports/divided-by-design/part-3-recommendations/">Part III </a>outlines what needs to change—concrete steps we can take to fundamentally reorient the program around unwinding those inequities.

Divided by Design (PDF)

“Divided by Design” uncovers the profound impacts of transportation decisions on socio-economic and environmental landscapes, revealing a legacy of division that continues to affect marginalized neighborhoods.

Signature reports

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Overview

I: Historic Inequities

II: Today's Inequities

III: Recommendations

The Final Word

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Transportation projects, especially highways, were once celebrated as symbols of progress and modernization. However, their legacy is far more complex. Historically, these projects were executed with scant regard for the communities they disrupted, particularly those of color. This report uncovers the systematic division and disenfranchisement resulting from these decisions and highlights how the negative impacts persist today.

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Read Part 1

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Part I examines the damage and inequities deliberately created by and in the federal transportation program from ~1950 onward. It concludes with a unique analysis of both an unbuilt and built highway segment within <a href="/signature-reports/divided-by-design/atlantas-story/">Atlanta</a> and <a href="/signature-reports/divided-by-design/washington-dcs-story/">Washington, DC</a> to quantify what was lost, who bore the brunt of the damage, and what could have been lost with highways that were never built.

The Report: Part I

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Read Part II

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Part II examines our current transportation program to demonstrate how the programs, standards, models, and measures have their roots in the previous era and exacerbate inequities—whether intentional or not.

The Report: Part II

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Read Part III

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Part III outlines what needs to change—concrete steps we can take to fundamentally reorient the program around unwinding those inequities.

The Report: Part III

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Read our final words aimed at reversing past harms and advancing more equitable transportation policies.

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Download Report

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Download Divided by Design

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