Between Justice and Beauty: Race, Planning, and the Failure of Urban Policy in Washington, D.C.

awesome book in getting extensive knowledge on Washington D.C's history from the beginning to present, understanding the racial politics, the city beautiful movement, urban renewal, what DC was before the 20th century.. very critical in understanding where it is. soo much information and great at understanding holistically. Only 4 stars because it was somewhat wordy and difficult to understand what was being said, in retrospect I read it at a time that I was just beginning my journey with urban planning so I was still new to various concepts and historical moments in regards to the field, so I recommend to read the book with patience. However, I find myself constantly going back to the book to reference it.

This book offers a well researched history of how race and power influenced key public policy decisions in the nation's capital. The interplay between democracy and the lack of self determination form the backdrop for most of the book. The book also explains how racism effected land use planning and segregated economic development from less affluent parts of the city which still impacts the quality of life within the eastern section of the city.