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Red Hot City: Housing, Race, and Exclusion in Twenty-First-Century Atlanta
An incisive examination of how growth-at-all-costs planning and policy have exacerbated inequality and racial division in Atlanta.
Atlanta, the capital of the American South, is at the red-hot core of expansion, inequality, and political relevance. In recent decades, central Atlanta has experienced heavily racialized gentrification while the suburbs have become more diverse, with many affluent suburbs trying to push back against this diversity. Exploring the city’s past and future, Red Hot City tracks these racial and economic shifts and the politics and policies that produced them.
Dan Immergluck documents the trends that are inverting Atlanta’s late-twentieth-century “poor-in-the-core” urban model. New emphasis on capital-driven growth has excluded low-income people and families of color from the city’s center, pushing them to distant suburbs far from mass transit, large public hospitals, and other essential services. Revealing critical lessons for leaders, activists, and residents in cities around the world, Immergluck considers how planners and policymakers can reverse recent trends to create more socially equitable cities.
Atlanta, the capital of the American South, is at the red-hot core of expansion, inequality, and political relevance. In recent decades, central Atlanta has experienced heavily racialized gentrification while the suburbs have become more diverse, with many affluent suburbs trying to push back against this diversity. Exploring the city’s past and future, Red Hot City tracks these racial and economic shifts and the politics and policies that produced them.
Dan Immergluck documents the trends that are inverting Atlanta’s late-twentieth-century “poor-in-the-core” urban model. New emphasis on capital-driven growth has excluded low-income people and families of color from the city’s center, pushing them to distant suburbs far from mass transit, large public hospitals, and other essential services. Revealing critical lessons for leaders, activists, and residents in cities around the world, Immergluck considers how planners and policymakers can reverse recent trends to create more socially equitable cities.
341 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2022
47 people are currently reading
521 people want to read
About the author
Dan Immergluck
9 books6 followersDan Immergluck is Professor of Urban Studies at Georgia State University. His research concerns housing, neighborhood change, and real estate markets. Dr. Immergluck is the author of five books and over 120 scholarly articles, book chapters, and research reports. He has consulted to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the US Department of Justice, foundations, and nonprofit organizations. Professor Immergluck has been cited and quoted in the New York Times, the Washington Post, National Public Radio, the Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets. He has testified several times before the U.S. Congress and the Federal Reserve Board. Prior to becoming a full time academic, he was a community development practitioner and affordable housing advocate in Chicago for over a decade.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 29, 2023
I'd had this on my TBR for a long time, and finally got around to reading it as part of a book club for my job. This was a great book to read together, as it has many criticisms of the failings of the major organizations and foundations involved in Atlanta's professional affordable housing circles (several of which we work with.) I think anyone working in planning or related fields will gain something from Immergluck's reflections on the missed opportunities to proactively prevent the compounding housing problems we're seeing today, as well as the "too little, too late" efforts to retroactively address them today. Even normal residents who are just trying to make sense of why their region's housing issues may find it useful to read this. He provides accessible explanations that will enlighten anyone who is curious about private equity's expanded role in rental housing (particularly single-family rentals in the South), gentrification in Atlanta's urban and suburban neighborhoods, or the previous decade's foreclosure crisis.
Overall, Immergluck does help to connect some trends between the different parts of the region, and offer a modern take on several housing issues in a major city. However, I'm sad to say that overall, I did not find this book to be as connective or insightful as I wanted. There were a lot of statistics I didn't know, but at times this felt like an assemblage of facts and policy critiques. All of that is useful, but it still didn't rise to the level of fully integrating the main themes from the introduction with the content in the chapters. I would have liked to see a bit more of a cohesive narrative, but I guess you can't have everything from every book--and this one still has a lot of information to offer.
Overall, Immergluck does help to connect some trends between the different parts of the region, and offer a modern take on several housing issues in a major city. However, I'm sad to say that overall, I did not find this book to be as connective or insightful as I wanted. There were a lot of statistics I didn't know, but at times this felt like an assemblage of facts and policy critiques. All of that is useful, but it still didn't rise to the level of fully integrating the main themes from the introduction with the content in the chapters. I would have liked to see a bit more of a cohesive narrative, but I guess you can't have everything from every book--and this one still has a lot of information to offer.
September 15, 2024
TL;DR: I highly recommend this book, especially for people from the Atlanta area. It offers deep insights into the city’s political and corporate modern history and policies. It helped me understand why Atlanta and its metro area are the way they are. These practices aren't just unique to Atlanta but can be seen in many major cities across the United States, particularly in the Sunbelt states. That’s why I encourage anyone interested in urban policy to read it. Although I have a political science background, Professor Dan Immergluck wrote this book in a straightforward, digestible manner that anyone can read and understand. I was initially assigned this book for a class and ended up rereading it. That’s how significant it is.
As someone born and raised in metropolitan Atlanta, this book answered so many questions about the place I consider home. My family moved to the Buckhead area in the 1990s and lived in a multifamily townhouse. Less than six years later, they received an eviction notice due to the property being redeveloped into single-family homes. Today, these luxurious properties define much of Buckhead and the surrounding areas. Unable to afford to stay, my family had to move to one of the five major suburban counties. Growing up, I often heard the suburbs described as tranquil, spacious havens for middle- to upper-middle-class families—often white. When I told people outside of Georgia that I lived in the Atlanta suburbs, they assumed I lived in one of these "ideal" communities. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. My suburb was filled with low-income black people and Hispanic, Asian, and African immigrants. I attended a high school where 98% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch and SNAP benefits. It was a low-income suburb where most people didn’t even graduate high school, let alone attend college. This book answered the "how" and "why" behind my experience, making me feel seen and validated by presenting it from an academic perspective.
The book also explained why, in 2024, metrics show Atlanta as the “most educated city.” It’s not because native Atlantans are becoming more educated, but because a corporate-led urban regime reshaped the city to attract young professionals and tech businesses. There are numerous examples—some mentioned in the book—where local politicians blocked funding for Atlanta Public Schools (APS) to prioritize real estate redevelopment projects. It’s absolutely disgusting. Immergluck exposes how state and local government policies prioritize serving corporations over their own communities. Projects like The Beltline and Ponce City Market are celebrated, but low-income residents and children pay the price. These redevelopment efforts are far from over. For example, the ongoing Gulch redevelopment in Atlanta is redirecting funds from causes like affordable housing and education, “coincidentally” just in time for the 2026 World Cup, where Atlanta will be a host city and this redevelopment is happening walking distance to where the games will take place at, in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. As you can see, Atlanta’s politicians are still intent on maintaining the city’s "world-class" image.
This book is highly informative and an essential read for anyone who cares about social justice. Especially in 2024, an election year, it’s critical to understand the housing issues disproportionately affecting people of color and low-income communities. This knowledge can help inform voting decisions and guide how we hold political candidates accountable.
As someone born and raised in metropolitan Atlanta, this book answered so many questions about the place I consider home. My family moved to the Buckhead area in the 1990s and lived in a multifamily townhouse. Less than six years later, they received an eviction notice due to the property being redeveloped into single-family homes. Today, these luxurious properties define much of Buckhead and the surrounding areas. Unable to afford to stay, my family had to move to one of the five major suburban counties. Growing up, I often heard the suburbs described as tranquil, spacious havens for middle- to upper-middle-class families—often white. When I told people outside of Georgia that I lived in the Atlanta suburbs, they assumed I lived in one of these "ideal" communities. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. My suburb was filled with low-income black people and Hispanic, Asian, and African immigrants. I attended a high school where 98% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch and SNAP benefits. It was a low-income suburb where most people didn’t even graduate high school, let alone attend college. This book answered the "how" and "why" behind my experience, making me feel seen and validated by presenting it from an academic perspective.
The book also explained why, in 2024, metrics show Atlanta as the “most educated city.” It’s not because native Atlantans are becoming more educated, but because a corporate-led urban regime reshaped the city to attract young professionals and tech businesses. There are numerous examples—some mentioned in the book—where local politicians blocked funding for Atlanta Public Schools (APS) to prioritize real estate redevelopment projects. It’s absolutely disgusting. Immergluck exposes how state and local government policies prioritize serving corporations over their own communities. Projects like The Beltline and Ponce City Market are celebrated, but low-income residents and children pay the price. These redevelopment efforts are far from over. For example, the ongoing Gulch redevelopment in Atlanta is redirecting funds from causes like affordable housing and education, “coincidentally” just in time for the 2026 World Cup, where Atlanta will be a host city and this redevelopment is happening walking distance to where the games will take place at, in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. As you can see, Atlanta’s politicians are still intent on maintaining the city’s "world-class" image.
This book is highly informative and an essential read for anyone who cares about social justice. Especially in 2024, an election year, it’s critical to understand the housing issues disproportionately affecting people of color and low-income communities. This knowledge can help inform voting decisions and guide how we hold political candidates accountable.
February 6, 2023
A very helpful history of Atlanta and a thorough review of planning decisions that exacerbated Atlanta’s already wide & highly racialized wealth disparity through a lens of affordable housing. Calls into question glamour projects like the Olympics, the Beltline, and other endeavors in making Atlanta a World Class City and asks: who do these projects really serve? Very worthwhile read for Atlanta natives and affordable housing advocates.
March 11, 2023
can’t recommend this book highly enough. it is accessible, thorough, and clearly the result of deep scholarship on and care for the housing and inequality issues in atlanta. many lessons that can apply to other cities.
October 3, 2024
Well researched and chock full of interesting statistics, especially for an Atlanta resident like myself. However, also a little academic and dry, and all of these details are perhaps better appreciated by urban planning aficionados.
September 29, 2023
Excellent look at the history of Atlanta real estate development, especially recent development, through a lens of how national, state and local government policy impacts communities, focusing on race and income levels.
I picked up this book hoping to read an Atlanta version of the Baltimore-based book “not in my neighborhood,” an excellent history of redlining and other deeply ingrained forms of systemic racism in Baltimore. This book relies much less on reporting from individuals and documents, and more on research and statistics, but is no less powerful. It’s also more recent.
I found myself disagreeing with many of the lines of reasoning,underlining many things and making notes, only to later concede the point. I still feel that attracting investment to the city is a positive thing and ultimately the driving force that will support economic growth and prosperity, I see now that there are ways to do this that bring everyone along.
It’s always a good experience when a book can make you think and even change your mind. This one did.
I picked up this book hoping to read an Atlanta version of the Baltimore-based book “not in my neighborhood,” an excellent history of redlining and other deeply ingrained forms of systemic racism in Baltimore. This book relies much less on reporting from individuals and documents, and more on research and statistics, but is no less powerful. It’s also more recent.
I found myself disagreeing with many of the lines of reasoning,underlining many things and making notes, only to later concede the point. I still feel that attracting investment to the city is a positive thing and ultimately the driving force that will support economic growth and prosperity, I see now that there are ways to do this that bring everyone along.
It’s always a good experience when a book can make you think and even change your mind. This one did.
July 3, 2023
How this author made a compelling, close-to-home subject this dry I will never understand. Reading this felt like dragging sandpaper across my eyeballs, but I still learned a decent bit
May 16, 2024
Dan Immergluck's work is challenging, disappointing but most importantly an encouraging read. As someone who grew up in the ATL burbs, went away to college, worked up north, and then came back and bought a home in one of the areas highlighted in this book, I have to acknowledge that I am part of the gentrifying wave. A few weekends ago my neighbor informed me that the individual renting my home before I purchased did not want to leave the residence. Often people become defensive when they are confronted with the realization that their behavior contributes to the social problems. Part of that defense mechanism is to claim inevitability, which on the surface displacement does seem inevitable. Immergluck does an amazing job detailing the specific missed opportunities and decisions made, removing the veil of inevitability. While disappointing, this breakdown provides an encouraging takeaway. We can make decisions to ensure the city's development does not come at the expense of marginalized communities.
This was a great follow-up to "The Legend of the Black Mecca" by Maurice Hobson. While Atlanta is often referred to as Black Mecca or Wakanda in the modern lexicon, in reality, Atlanta has done everything but embrace the African American community in meaningful ways that would benefit the masses of the community. The city will market black culture for financial gain but will not ensure the communities from which the talent develops are secure. But back to Immergluck's point, that is a conscious choice the city is making, not an inevitable fate for impoverished communities.
This was a great follow-up to "The Legend of the Black Mecca" by Maurice Hobson. While Atlanta is often referred to as Black Mecca or Wakanda in the modern lexicon, in reality, Atlanta has done everything but embrace the African American community in meaningful ways that would benefit the masses of the community. The city will market black culture for financial gain but will not ensure the communities from which the talent develops are secure. But back to Immergluck's point, that is a conscious choice the city is making, not an inevitable fate for impoverished communities.
May 5, 2025
Tax loopholes? Racist zoning laws? Corrupt politicians? What is this science fiction?
Okay Dan Immergluck's case study didn't tell me anything I didn't already know about gentrification of Atlanta. I live here and they closed every damn check cashing place I used to frequent. Now it's just Hot yoga and Thai noodle bowls as far as the eye can see.
Regardless it's an effective study of how we got to this point. The data doesn't lie. And there's a lot of it. It's a pretty strong indictment of Atlanta's greed squeezing mid-lower income black families out of what was once considered the black Mecca. The alarming rise in drunk, white girls on the beltline was omitted, but I digress.
Unless you have a vested interest like me, not sure I would recommend per se- it reads like a textbook loaded with data, graphs and acronyms. So many fucking acronyms (SMFA) Surely there's another book with personal stories of minorities displaced by gentrification. And surely there's yet another book on why Atlanta has become a traffic hellhole with a 6 hour rush hour- spoiler - it's the same systematic racism and short-sighted policy that made this city the clusterfuck of the century. I'd read that.
Okay Dan Immergluck's case study didn't tell me anything I didn't already know about gentrification of Atlanta. I live here and they closed every damn check cashing place I used to frequent. Now it's just Hot yoga and Thai noodle bowls as far as the eye can see.
Regardless it's an effective study of how we got to this point. The data doesn't lie. And there's a lot of it. It's a pretty strong indictment of Atlanta's greed squeezing mid-lower income black families out of what was once considered the black Mecca. The alarming rise in drunk, white girls on the beltline was omitted, but I digress.
Unless you have a vested interest like me, not sure I would recommend per se- it reads like a textbook loaded with data, graphs and acronyms. So many fucking acronyms (SMFA) Surely there's another book with personal stories of minorities displaced by gentrification. And surely there's yet another book on why Atlanta has become a traffic hellhole with a 6 hour rush hour- spoiler - it's the same systematic racism and short-sighted policy that made this city the clusterfuck of the century. I'd read that.
November 4, 2022
This book is a critique of metro Atlanta's recent housing policies, from a somewhat left-wing perspective. Immergluck's primary argument is that government at all levels should have spent more (on subsidizing low-and moderate-income housing) and regulated more (through rent control and similar policies).
Although Immergluck is definitely to my left, I still think this book was worth reading. In particular, I learned how aggressive Atlanta's more affluent suburbs have been about displacing lower-income housing; while most suburbs merely exclude new apartments, suburbs like Sandy Springs and Marietta have been financing "redevelopment" projects that destroyed aging apartment complexes.
On the negative side, Immergluck's emphasis on urban gentrification seems a bit dated. Over the past two years, crime has risen in Atlanta, and urban office buildings seem to be losing tenants because many people still work from home. Under the circumstances, Atlantans should probably be more worried about a return to the bad old days of middle-class flight than they should be about having too few poor people.
Although Immergluck is definitely to my left, I still think this book was worth reading. In particular, I learned how aggressive Atlanta's more affluent suburbs have been about displacing lower-income housing; while most suburbs merely exclude new apartments, suburbs like Sandy Springs and Marietta have been financing "redevelopment" projects that destroyed aging apartment complexes.
On the negative side, Immergluck's emphasis on urban gentrification seems a bit dated. Over the past two years, crime has risen in Atlanta, and urban office buildings seem to be losing tenants because many people still work from home. Under the circumstances, Atlantans should probably be more worried about a return to the bad old days of middle-class flight than they should be about having too few poor people.
January 18, 2024
this was such an eye-opening read for me because i live in GA and introduce myself as someone "from Atlanta" but am actually completely ignorant to the history and development of the metro-Atlanta area. warren buffet? LVMH? henry grady? this book is about the mistakes already made and things that have already happened - something that other cities should not repeat. this book is also relatively/slightly left-leaning, but factual and well-researched for the most part. what we need now is more awareness that can turn into better policy. time is of the essence...
September 17, 2025
Learned a lot about how local policies negatively impacted availability of affordable housing in the city while actively courting high income families and individuals. Had not realized just how badly impacted many families in specific areas of Atlanta were by the 2008 housing crisis (2nd only to Las Vegas for metro areas). While not a relaxing/light read, an important one. I found value in what I learned from this book, in particular for filling some big gaps in my own understanding of Atlanta housing policies and use of federal funds after the 2008 financial crisis.
June 5, 2024
Reasons to read this book:
1. Interested in learning more about Atlanta history and state and local governments, demographic trends in the city
2. Advocate of affordable housing
3. General interest in city planning related to gentrification and urban sprawl
The book leans left, repetitive, and dry. However, the insight is very helpful as I read the book for #1 reason above. The book makes one think about a topic that I will be interested to follow future trends and developments in Atlanta.
1. Interested in learning more about Atlanta history and state and local governments, demographic trends in the city
2. Advocate of affordable housing
3. General interest in city planning related to gentrification and urban sprawl
The book leans left, repetitive, and dry. However, the insight is very helpful as I read the book for #1 reason above. The book makes one think about a topic that I will be interested to follow future trends and developments in Atlanta.
December 29, 2022
The content is very interesting but it’s definitely a slog. Dense but thorough. It wasn’t easy to get through but I learned a lot and it definitely makes me look at city planning and gentrification differently.
July 15, 2025
Love love love such a good book, great to read for more contemporary Atlanta history. Great blend of good studies, detailed explanation of the mechanics of housing policy, thoughtful analysis, and concise, accessible history. Should definitely read if you’ve spent time in Atlanta.
July 16, 2023
A decent look into the political economy of housing, at the macro level, for Atlanta and the common political slip-ups that create urban crises in the housing market.
Read
November 27, 2023A little too technical/academic for me at points but interesting historically, especially on developments since ‘96 Olympics
April 7, 2024
This is mandatory reading if you wish to understand the underlying political mechanisms that have created and exacerbated the metro’s housing affordability crisis.
April 16, 2024
Eye opening for a northern Michigander
February 23, 2023
I can't recommend this book enough. Immergluck has a writing style that distills some pretty complex ideas about race and housing into accessible language. Meaning: you don't have to be an expert to appreciate this exploration of the way race has played into Atlanta's development practices.
For me, this was a sobering read about Atlanta's repeated failure to glean equitable public benefits from its growth and private development -- while detailing the planning and policy moves that resulted in displacement and exclusion instead of a holistically beneficial prosperity.
It also serves as a warning for other cities that haven't experienced similar gentrification pressures yet, clueing them into the actions to avoid; and it's a clear call for improvement in Atlanta's own leadership practices.
For me, this was a sobering read about Atlanta's repeated failure to glean equitable public benefits from its growth and private development -- while detailing the planning and policy moves that resulted in displacement and exclusion instead of a holistically beneficial prosperity.
It also serves as a warning for other cities that haven't experienced similar gentrification pressures yet, clueing them into the actions to avoid; and it's a clear call for improvement in Atlanta's own leadership practices.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews