Jerel McCants expands his architecture book into audiobook format

Tampa architect Jerel McCants has released an audiobook edition of Architecture of Segregation: The Hierarchy of Spaces and Places, extending his examination of how design, planning and public policy have shaped social divisions. The release broadens access to his research as he continues preservation work on landmark Tampa buildings tied to the city’s history.

Why it matters: - Architecture can shape access, belonging and community interaction, not just the look of a city. - McCants uses the audiobook release to widen access to his research for listeners, students, professionals and readers interested in architecture, history, urban planning and community development. - The book ties design decisions to long-term social impact, which matters for architects, planners, policymakers and community leaders.

What happened: - Tampa-based architect Jerel McCants released an audiobook edition of Architecture of Segregation: The Hierarchy of Spaces and Places. - The book examines how architecture, urban planning and public policy have reflected and reinforced racial, ethnic and social divisions. - McCants drew on his architectural training, personal experiences and travel to more than 30 countries. - The book is available in print and audiobook formats on Amazon.

The details: - Published by Two Penny Publishing, the book traces the relationship between architecture and societal division across generations and cultures. - McCants looks at Indigenous communities in North America, the African diaspora and the Triangular Slave Trade. - The book also examines segregation-era systems in the United States, including Plessy v. Ferguson and Jim Crow laws. - McCants says architecture is about understanding why spaces were designed, who they served and how those decisions still affect communities. - Jerel McCants, AIA, LEED Green Associate, is the principal-in-charge of Jerel McCants Architecture, Inc. - McCants founded the firm in 2009. - The Tampa-based firm serves clients across six states. - McCants earned a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from Tennessee State University and a Master of Architecture from the University of South Florida. - McCants has built a career spanning architecture, historic preservation, civic, educational, cultural, residential and commercial projects. - The company's Instagram account was listed in the release.

Between the lines: - The book puts a practicing architect into a broader public debate about how built spaces can reinforce inequality or help create more connected communities. - McCants’s preservation work in Tampa reinforces the book’s central argument that historic buildings preserve social history, not just physical structures. - The release positions architecture as a social and ethical discipline, not only a technical one.

What's next: - McCants will continue speaking nationally about architecture, preservation, urban planning and the social implications of design. - His firm will keep working on Tampa preservation projects, including Tampa Union Station and the Jackson House. - The audiobook format should make McCants’s research easier to access for a wider audience.

The bottom line: - McCants is using the audiobook release to extend a message that design choices carry social consequences long after buildings are finished.