Interactive Map Highlights Freeway-Related Displacement in Houston

A new map illustrates the neighborhoods and buildings that were razed to make way for freeways and estimates the number of people displaced by roadways.

1 minute read

November 7, 2024, 7:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


View of downtown Houston with elevated freeways in foreground.

Zenstratus / Adobe Stock

An interactive map from the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies at Rice University visualizes the displacement of people and buildings caused by highway construction in Houston. “Displayed alongside the interactive database are historical maps of Houston, aerial photography before and after highway construction, freeway plans and proposals, and details about each of the more than 11,000 structures in our database of buildings removed for urban freeways.”

According to the researchers, “The map also estimates the number of individuals displaced by highway construction between 1946 and 1974, who were mostly Black Houstonians. We hope this history will allow both the public and policymakers to explore the legacies of segregation and inequality as debates over the rebuilding, reshaping, and expansion of Houston's highway system continue.”

Friday, November 1, 2024 in Baker Institute for Public Policy

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