Umm, those areas did not become ghettos, the government turned them into ghettos. The purpose behind redlining was to outline the areas where “no public investment” would be made. Inside those red lines, no public money was available for police, fire, libraries, hospitals, businesses, parks, public transportation or infrastructure like streets, sidewalks, cross walks, traffic lights, trees. etc. Of course, redlined areas decayed. Streets only last so long, before they need to be repaired.

The maps had other colours on them that indicated limited public investment – at best. That strategy gave federal, state and local governments a whole lot of public money to invest outside these colored zones – in white areas. How many white people paid for all public things in their neighborhoods? The answer is none.

Today, if you drive through any redlined area, anywhere in the country, the “public realm” is still visibly decaying.

By investing in new public infrastructure and decent public services, cities started bringing the value of homes and commercial property in once red-lined areas up again. Gentrification is just a signal to white people, that government is moving black, brown and poor people out of these areas and replacing them with tax money.

We are a long way away from ending racist zoning known as redlining.