Critics say the design of homes that come with gentrification is too often uninspired, incompatible, and downright ugly.

"When [Maria] Nicanor looks at the newer houses in Houston that she calls 'white elephants'—those wonky, stacked boxes that look more like what children build with Legos than what they draw with crayons—it’s not so much that she finds the architecture aesthetically dubious (though she does), it’s that she sees right through it to 'the systems that over decades have made it this way,'" writes Allyn West.
Nicanor is the executive director of the Rice Design Alliance, and her take on housing design in Houston describes the standardization of architecture as gentrification sweeps through that city and others throughout Texas.
The phenomenon reflects the inability of cities to balance new development with what has long existed there, says West. "Nicanor wonders what can be done at city hall, from rewriting zoning laws and enacting preservation ordinances to protecting renters and supporting community land trusts. Should the market make all the decisions?"
West looks at a variety of examples of this gentrification architecture in various Texas cities, including huge homes out of scale with the bungalows and cottages around them, packs of generic townhouses, and houses dominated by their garages.
Architect Ben Koush has an issue with mammoth homes, whose design reflects the market more than what neighborhoods need, notes West. "I think it’s almost disrespectful when you build a big, hulking box," Koush says. "But I’m also not a developer, so I see things differently than they do, and they think it’s probably stupid to build what I did. And they’re like, 'You’re an idiot.' And I’m like, 'You’re an idiot.'"
FULL STORY: The Architecture of Gentrification

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions