Longtime residents are being left behind by new development that has raised housing costs and property taxes for some of Houston's most vulnerable communities, according to an article in the Houston Chronicle.

Rapid redevelopment in Houston's Fifth Ward threatens the future of the historically Black community, many of whose residents have already been displaced. As R. A. Schuetz reports, "[t]he median home sales price in the neighborhood has risen to $335,000 in 2020 from $145,000 in 2010, according to Houston Association of Realtors data," and encroaching development has led local institutions such as churches to consider relocating.
"Fifth Ward, like many historic Black and Latino neighborhoods, has also seen drops in its minority population." The upcoming East River development "has already begun construction on a golf course and will eventually bring over a million square feet of apartments, offices, restaurants and retail. Its developer, Midway, has promised that 15 percent of its housing will be affordable." But "[t]he most affordable of East River’s units will target households making 80 percent of the Houston region’s median income — that’s $63,050 for a family of four. That’s more than double Fifth Ward’s median household income of roughly $30,000."
Harvey Clemons Jr., one of the founders of Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation, "advised longtime residents to love their new neighbors and for legislators to think of ways to change the tax rules so that people who grew up there are not priced out." Clemons warns that "[t]o romanticize antiquity is an error," and "the only course [in the face of redevelopment] is to look forward."
FULL STORY: Nowhere else to go': Whether Fifth Ward residents want it or not, East River is coming [paywall]

The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

How Virginia Counties Use Zoning to Stifle Development
Some state legislators are proposing action at the state level as counties block development using zoning and development requirements even as housing prices rise sharply in the region.

The Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity to Remake Downtown
Urban cores around the country were transforming into live, work, and play destinations before the pandemic. The pandemic was a setback for this transformation, but it could also be a rare opportunity. It’s up to city leadership to seize it.

L.A. Times Editorial Board Calls for CEQA Reform
The Board argues that the environmental law, while important, has too often been ‘weaponized’ by NIMBY groups to delay or halt housing development.

Seattle Brings Free Transit to Public Housing
Linking transit programs to housing can lower administrative costs and streamline the process for riders.

Columbus Could Lower Downtown Speed Limits
The city council will vote on a proposal to lower speed limits to 25 miles per hour to improve safety and make downtown more walkable and welcoming to pedestrians.
York County Government
York County, Human Resources
Virginia Passenger Rail Authority
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
City of Piedmont, CA
City of Morganton
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.