Echoes of Segregation: The Legacy of Jim Crow Laws in Lubbock's Urban Planning

This paper examines how the legacy of Jim Crow laws continues to shape Lubbock’s urban form and social geography. Drawing on historical maps, policy documents, and spatial analysis, it traces the city’s use of racial zoning, discriminatory urban renewal, and infrastructure placement to enforce segregation well into the mid-20th century. The talk highlights how these planning decisions left lasting physical and socio-economic divides, influencing housing patterns, public amenities, and mobility networks. By connecting past policies to present-day inequities, the presentation invites a critical discussion on the role of architects, planners, and policymakers in addressing structural injustice and advancing spatial equity.