This paper explores the implications of a history saturated by class and race relations that underpin the state of residential segregation in American cities. The brief yet far-reaching research contextualizes contemporary challenges for planning and design, explains the relevance of inclusive and integrated housing, and further articulates the urgent task for designers, planners, policymakers, elected officials, and ultimately, the public. This task demands of many actors to advocate for and commit to equitable paths forward to realize the unfulfilled potential of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. In this context, the agency of the contemporary urban designer-planner-policymaker collaboration is defined by not only advocacy for equity, but also the instrumentality of helping guide regulatory frameworks that facilitate more effective ways to plan and shape the city.
