# Raising our goal to $6k!!

Y’all, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has bought a book and contributed to this campaign. Without your support, I would not be able to tell you this exciting new update:

After seeing all the support for the campaign, New Degree Press said they will publish a HARDCOVER edition of the book!

To publish a hardcover edition, my publisher has raised my campaign goal to $6K. That’s a little over $1,000 away! We’re almost there. Please continue to share this book with your friends and family. Tell your local book club, library, etc. Use #PavedAWay if you’re excited to share news about your pre-order or any other topics around the book. Let’s continue the journey of narrative change and building more equitable cities!

# Story of My Book

Paved A Way is a book about infrastructure, race, and public policy and how those forces shape inequalities in our cities. It’s a look at how we can re-frame, re-design, and re-invest toward more equitable cities.

My name is Collin Yarbrough and I am the author of Paved A Way. I wrote this book because I was researching for a paper and discovered that a highway I use everyday was responsible for the relocation of over 1,100 bodies within a Freedman’s cemetery. It led me on a longer journey of unearthing the story of infrastructure built upon inequality.

My hope is that, in reading this book, you will discover how to spot the patterns of injustice that exist in our cities. I want you to see this book as an opportunity to walk with me through the history of Dallas and my unpacking the structures and policies that shaped the city of today. Dallas is a city like many others, and I hope engagement in this book will encourage you to embark on a similar journey of discovery in your own city’s history.

You will love this book if you like to learn the history of cities, are curious about issues of equity, and learn how to engage in justice work in your city.

Paved A Way speaks to architects, urban planners, and citizens who want to grapple with equity and infrastructure in a new way.

Ultimately, I hope that Paved A Way inspires reflection and fruitful dialogue, pressing into engaging questions like:

What is my role in creating and sustaining inequity around me?
Why do some neighborhoods end up in decline and disinvestment?
How might our cities be improved through a better understanding of how they were built, and who made those decisions?
I look forward to exploring these questions and beyond with my readers. I believe discussing the intersection of infrastructure, race, and public policy will change us all for the better.

# The Book – Paved A Way

The book is written in three parts.

Part 1 – (Re-Frame) contains the author’s note + chapters 1-7. This section is focused on reframing the historical narrative of several neighborhoods in Dallas. By bringing the narratives together, we are able to more clearly see the patterns of injustice existing in the built and political environment. We learn about how commonly highway construction bi-sected several communities of color in Dallas like North Dallas, Little Mexico, Deep Ellum, Tenth Street, and others. This section critically evaluates the history of a city thought to have no history at all and born out of nothing…which, is very far from the truth.

Part 2 – (Re-Design) contains chapters 8-10. This section is focused on the ways we can take steps toward redesigning our cities in a more just and equitable way. The section highlights ideas from architects and designers across the country exploring how space and place play a role in shaping the way we interact with our cities. Stories, like Detroit Future City and Patterned Justice: Design Languages for a Just Pittsburgh, show how communities can identify disinvestment and create new patterns of justice in their cities. This section also explores how simple objects like plywood and shipping containers can reclaim space in and for a community. and imagine a new future.

Part 3 – (Re-Invest) contains chapters 11-14. Finally, the book explores the ways various stakeholders can engage in more equitable reinvestment in their cities. Reinvestment applies not only to structures in the built environment but to the people involved in the process of building as well. We hear stories of developers in Dallas are changing the the traditional model of development and building community rather than corporate wealth. This section contains a few of the cornerstones for the foundations of an equitable city.

# What I Need & What You’ll Get

This book will be published with New Degree Press. I set up the pre-order tiers to help cover the costs for publishing and shipping my book. Money raised will go towards the following:

The editor I will work with to revise and publish my manuscript in April, 2021.
The cover design of my book. (The mock ups you see currently are a placeholder!)
The layout design for the interior of my book (physical copy, ebook formats, etc.).
The copy editing for my book to polish the grammar and spelling prior to publication.
The launch & promotion efforts for my book when I ultimately publish this coming spring.

When I pre-sell 120 copies of my book, I will publish a paperback and ebook.

When I pre-sell 150 copies of my book, I will also publish an expanded hardcover edition.

When I pre-sell 200 copies of my book, I will publish the hardcover and an audiobook.

I am also offering some exclusive rewards for people who pre-order my book now:

You will receive a personally signed copy of my book when I publish.
Your name will appear in the Acknowledgments section of my book.
You will receive early access to the Author’s Note and other excerpts from my book, with the opportunity to review it and give me early feedback.
You will have the opportunity to be involved in selecting my cover and title.
You will be invited to join my Author Community and get behind-the-scenes sneak peeks into the publishing process.
And much more!

# About the Author

Collin Yarbrough is a former pipeline engineer and compliance manager who began seminary a year ago. In the process, he was reunited with his passion for design and the way things are made, particularly cities.

Collin wrote this book because he wholeheartedly believes that our cities and towns do not have to reinforce and amplify inequities. He has spent the last eight months working to understand his hometown and rebuild his understanding of it’s history.

Collin is an avid runner and cyclist. When he isn’t running or writing, he is helping his mother run their non-profit cookie bakery. He’s an easy target for a wide range of jokes and is currently working toward his Masters in Sustainability and Development at SMU in Dallas.

For more information, you can connect with Collin at:

e-mail: [email protected]

Instagram: @collinwritesdesign

# Risks & Challenges

The biggest challenge with publishing a book is delivering the finished book to the backer, specifically my mailing of the book to you. I have eliminated this risk by including the cost of mailing and shipping the signed copies into each pre-order tier.

The risk of delivering the pre-sale copies of my book is contingent on the publisher we use. I will be working closely with New Degree Press to make sure we ship the pre-order rewards to you as early as possible. We will keep all pre-sale backers up-to-date as to when my book will publish. You will know when the copies of my book you pre-ordered are expected to ship.