When luxury condo developers started buying up properties on W Street in D.C., the low-income tenants who already lived there decided to get in the game.
The bank balked. Neighbors grumbled. But these poor tenants would not be swept away in the real estate boom.
"The community room filled early that July night in 2002. The tenants of Capital Manor were about to learn how much it would cost to stay in their apartments. Their century-old complex-three 34-unit buildings-was a dilapidated eyesore in a gentrifying D.C. neighborhood.
The tenants knew they had to buy their complex or risk being displaced. They had chosen a developer to guide them through the process. His colored marker now squeaked across a whiteboard at the front of the room. $1,500, he wrote. That's what each family would have to come up with in the next six weeks.
Looks of disbelief spread through the room. The 25 tenants gathered were dishwashers, janitors, people on public assistance. "How many people do you actually think have that kind of money just sitting somewhere?" demanded tenant association president Deborah Thomas."
FULL STORY: The Purchase of a Lifetime
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won
A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.
Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide
Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.
Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code
The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont