The city of Atlanta in the US has endured constant change throughout its history. It has been destroyed and rebuilt several times over, survived slavery and racial segregation to become the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement, and recently recast the state of Georgia as a blue wave in a sea of neighbouring red states. The Makeshift City by Joshua Dudley Greer shows a contemporary Atlanta in a state of flux—both a unique place with a specific history and culture, and a generic American metropolis struggling to forge its identity. The photographs in the book were made between 2020 and 2024—a period which encompassed the seismic events of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise to prominence of Black Lives Matter, struggles for abortion rights, increased income inequality and the Stop Cop City movement. This backdrop provided the motivation for Greer to witness certain economic and political forces as they manifested themselves in the landscape, architecture and community in one of the largest and most progressive cities in the American South. Atlanta also became known as 'The Black Mecca' for its thriving Black businesses, political leadership, higher education and entertainment.