Justice
When Invisible Borders Trump the Real Ones
The economic clustering of cities often ignores the lines drawn on maps.
Throughout this week, CityLab is running a series on borders—both real and imagined—and what draws so many of us to places on the edge.
As Donald Trump continues to insist that Mexico will “reimburse” the U.S. for his wall, his reality-show antics accidentally reveal an important point: What we perceive as authentic borders—like the one between the U.S. and Mexico—can function as artificial constructs, while the imaginary borders that separate rich and poor neighborhoods in the same city can be all too real.