This volume investigates the core question of how racial ideologies and social hierarchies are physically inscribed into the built environments and cultural landscapes of the United States. Edited by Richard H. Schein, the book compiles a series of scholarly essays that utilize specific geographic case studies to demonstrate that American landscapes are not neutral spaces but are instead deeply infused with the history of racial division. The contributors employ a critical geographic framework to analyze how power dynamics shape the development of both urban and suburban environments.

Experts identify this collection as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of geography and critical race studies. Readers frequently note that the essays provide a clear, accessible entry point into complex theoretical discussions regarding the spatial manifestation of social inequality.