The Influence of Race on Rezoning Decisions: Equality of Treatment in Black and White Census Tracts, 1955–1980

As municipal zoning is political in nature, the equality of zoning protection provided among black and white neighborhoods should be expected to be sensitive to changes in relative political power over time. This article examines the rejection rates for rezoning applications over time in predominantly white and predominantly black census tracts in Atlanta, Georgia. It identifies inequality of treatment as between heavily white and heavily black tracts during a period of no black representation among elected city officials and equality of treatment during a later period when blacks were substantially represented in government.