Building a Better Chicago - (Latina/O Sociology) by Teresa Irene Gonzales (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This book offers insight into how redevelopment policy is implemented on the ground, articulates the political and social benefits of collective skepticism for communities of color, and critiques the partial perspectives dominant in social capital and community development studies"--

Book Synopsis

How local Black and Brown communities can resist gentrification and fight for their interests

Despite promises from politicians, nonprofits, and government agencies, Chicago's most disadvantaged neighborhoods remain plagued by poverty, failing schools, and gang activity. In Building a Better Chicago, Teresa Irene Gonzales shows us how, and why, these promises have gone unfulfilled, revealing tensions between neighborhood residents and the institutions that claim to represent them.

Focusing on Little Village, the largest Mexican immigrant community in the Midwest, and Greater Englewood, a predominantly Black neighborhood, Gonzales gives us an on-the-ground look at Chicago's inner city. She shows us how philanthropists, nonprofits, and government agencies struggle for power and control--often against the interests of residents themselves--with the result of further marginalizing the communities of color they seek to help. But Gonzales also shows how these communities have advocated for themselves and demanded accountability from the politicians and agencies in their midst. Building a Better Chicago explores the many high-stakes battles taking place on the streets of Chicago, illuminating a more promising pathway to empowering communities of color in the twenty-first century.

Review Quotes

"Building a Better Chicago represents a valuable addition to the literatures on neighborhood development, community organizations, and urban activism...The book represents an important source for anyone who wishes to better understand urban politics and neighborhood change in low-income and racialized communities today."-- "American Sociological Association"

"Gonzales makes an important contribution to the literature on the role of institutional stakeholders in the urban redevelopment process. She offers a critique of dominant approaches to neighborhood revitalization that rely on planning strategies that are perceived as top-down by residents and grassroots groups."-- "Journal of Urban Affairs"

"Gonzales provides unique insight into how communities can advocate for themselves and demand accountability from politicians and agencies in their midst. The result is an important contribution to our understanding of redevelopment and the tensions that exist between institutional and grassroots organizations within urban revitalization."-- "American Journal of Sociology"

"This excellent addition to the literature on urban development challenges existing assumptions and invites us all to take Gonzales's lead and imagine what a better world might look like."-- "Social Forces Levine Review BaBC"

"This book is a prime example of a brilliantly written ethnography that allows the reader to become immersed in the microcosm of urban redevelopment politics in Chicago while raising critical questions about how existing power inequalities can be challenged."-- "Mobilization"

"...this case study allows readers to clearly envision the complexity and discord that occur when economically impoverished neighborhoods seek empowerment."-- "Choice"

"Building a Better Chicago is not just about Chicago. Teresa Irene Gonzales speaks to urban community development writ large, uncovering how a core foundational piece of these conversations--trust--marginalizes dissent, invalidates local sentiment, and devalues reasonable concerns over process. Grounded in contemporary policy debates, Building a Better Chicago shows that mistrust is a powerful tool. It might be hard for urban elites to read, but through careful examples and analysis Gonzales shows us how collective skepticism holds value for community organizers--from vouchsafing planning processes to bridging social capital across other neighborhood communities. As a result, this book is a must-read for growth-minded policymakers, scholars of cities, and grassroots urban activists."--Jonathan Wynn, author of Music/City: American Festivals and Placemaking in Austin, Nashville, and Newport

"Teresa Gonzales animates a powerful account of how state-actors direct the benefits of urban redevelopment towards White, urban elites and away from communities of color. In that respect, Chicago is like many cities across the United States. However, she shows how 'collective skepticism' allows for productive resistance as Black and Mexican-American residents from low-income communities stake claim to their neighborhoods and their city--forcing their voices and interests to be heard."-- "Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve, author of Crook County: Racism and Injustice in America's Largest Criminal Court"

About the Author

Teresa Irene Gonzales is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Loyola University. She is the author of Building a Better Chicago: Race and Community Resistance to Urban Development.