Social Infrastructure and Vulnerability in the Suburbs

Social Infrastructure and Vulnerability in the Suburbs examines how the combination of the low-density, car-centric geography of outer suburbs and neoliberal governance in the past several decades has affected disadvantaged populations in North American metro areas. Taking the example of York Region, a large outer suburb north of Toronto, the authors provide a spatial analysis that illuminates the invisible geography of vulnerability in the region. The volume examines access to social services by vulnerable groups who are not usually associated with the suburbs: recent immigrants, seniors, and low-income families. Investigating their access to four types of social infrastructure – education, employment, housing, and settlement services – this book presents a range of policy recommendations for how to address the social inequalities that characterize contemporary outer suburbs.

Table of Contents:
1. Vulnerability and Neoliberalism in the Suburbs 2. York Region - A Prime Example of the Outer Suburbs 3. Vulnerability in York Region 4. Education Infrastructure in York Region 5. Employment Services in York Region 6. Housing Infrastructure in York Region 7. Settlement Services in York Region 8. Conclusions

About the Author :
Lucia Lo is a professor in the Department of Geography at York University. Valerie Preston is a professor in the Department of Geography at York University. Paul Anisef is a professor emeritus of sociology at York University. Ranu Basu is an associate professor in the Department of Geography at York University. Shuguang Wang is a professor in the Department of Geography at Ryerson University.

Review :
"Social Infrastructure and Vulnerability in the Suburbs examines an important trend which is occurring throughout North America - the suburban settlement of the elderly, the poor, and immigrants. Clearly written, full of rich data, this book outlines how suburban growth in a neoliberal context affects social vulnerability and offers specific policy recommendations to reduce social inequality." --Emily Skop, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs "Social Infrastructure and Vulnerability in the Suburbs casts light on the socioeconomic changes affecting the suburbs and illustrates the growing polarization and diversity of this urban sector. An empirical study of the use of and access to York Region education, social housing, employment, and settlement services, this book addresses questions such as the nature of metropolitan development, emerging geographies of urban inequality, and the entrenchment of neoliberalism." --Pierre Filion, School of Planning, University of Waterloo