Research from late 2021 documented the footprint of urban gardens in Detroit, finding evidence of inequities but not gentrification.

Pat Batcheller reports for WDET about research published in fall 2021 finding that urban gardens in Detroit don’t cause gentrification. Urban gardens do, however, tend to be found in more affluent neighborhoods, contributing to inequities in the city.
The research, published in the September issue of the journal Landscape and Urban Planning, used remote sensing, satellite imagery, and Google Streetview to locate 600 home and community gardens around the city, according to Batcheller.
“The study says that while urban gardens offer many benefits, they’re unequally distributed. That surprised [research co-author Jason Hawes] and his colleagues because Black Detroiters have led the urban gardening movement,” writes Batcheller.
What the research did not find is evidence that gardens contribute to gentrification. “Hawes says property values across the city are neither stable enough nor high enough to be affected by urban gardens,” reports Batcheller. “Instead, what they’re seeing is that as new folks come to town who are attracted to urban gardening, they’re reshaping the landscape by building new gardens, but not necessarily displacing people in communities that already had gardens.”
FULL STORY: Urban gardens don’t lead to gentrification in Detroit, study says

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

Savannah Reduces Speed Limits on Almost 100 City Streets
The historic Georgia city is lowering speed limits in an effort to reduce road fatalities.

A Park Reborn: Resilience and Renewal in Fire-Stricken Altadena
Rebuilt in just two months after the devastating Eaton Fire, Loma Alta Park now stands as a symbol of community resilience and renewal, even as some residents hope recovery efforts will continue to support housing stability and long-term equity.

Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs
The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions