Urban zoning laws historically segregated wealthy shoppers from street workers

Evidence

Given the eloquence of the Association’s plea, it is not surprising that the desired building-occupancy restrictions became law, thus protecting the inalienable right of the well-to-do to spend their money with- . out having to rub shoulders with the “dangerous classes.” — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 414

Categorization

• SEED: A possible essay angle on how the contemporary discourse of ‘safety’ and ‘exclusivity’ in urban retail districts descends directly from class-based panic over shared sidewalks — the fear that workers’ mere presence devalues real estate.
• XREF: Extends the reader’s purpose line on how cities categorize strangers (Lofland’s own framework), showing that such categorization was historically enacted into law, not just perception.