In the Denver suburb of Aurora, nonprofits are using 'mobile public spaces' to reach refugees settling in the autocentric community.
Erica Dorn reports on efforts underway in Aurora, Colorado to find innovative ways to provide social services in dispersed, auto-dependent suburbs that are becoming increasingly diverse. With a population that speaks over 160 languages, the community, according to Dorn, reflects the future of the American suburb. But suburbs are also experiencing a rise in poverty rates and an increasing number of residents that rely on social services that are often scarce in suburban areas.
Organizations like Project Worthmore are creating decentralized service hubs that can provide access to more of Aurora's refugee and immigrant populations. Casa de Paz, a nonprofit serving immigrants released from ICE detention, recently launched Casa on Wheels, a "mobile welcoming center" that greets asylum seekers just outside the ICE detention center and provides essential supplies like clothing, food, and assistance in accessing support programs.
Advocates point out that these are stopgap measures, but that the goal of inclusive, sustainable suburban communities will require a deeper commitment to and investment in stable affordable housing, transit-oriented development, and good jobs. As Dorn notes, "While expanding mobile offerings is essential, looking ahead, suburbs must invest in infrastructure, economic development, and placemaking that build true communities for new and old residents alike."
Reimagining the Suburbs
With more people moving away from central cities, we have the chance to avoid past mistakes and redesign the American suburb to be less car-centric and more diverse.
The Changing Demographics of Denver's Suburbs
The Colorado Demographer's Office is projecting big changes for the demographics of the suburban counties and cities surrounding Denver—even as overall growth for the region is expected to slow.
What Trump Gets Wrong About America’s Suburbs
The Trump administration’s talk about protecting the suburbs is based on misrepresentations of who really lives in suburbs and what these communities need.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association