ABSTRACT
In explaining the differences in urban development patterns among cities and communities, many factors have been examined. These factors include public policy debates, the behavior of the market, and community features, especially the social (such as race) and economic (such as class) background of a community. It is commonly accepted that development differences are largely attributable to the interaction of these factors. However, since American urban communities differ so significantly in race and class compositions, it is hard to measure how and to what extent public policy integrated with other factors contributes to the differences. The impact of a community’s race and class background may be mixed with that of the policy factor in analyzing development differences. A case in which race and class differences among communities are limited will enable us to focus on the policy issue, and to reveal the dynamic mechanism of how policy works with other factors in a given context.
