Clybourne Park, a play exploring race, real estate, and community tensions, can set the stage for discussion on the lasting impacts of housing discrimination, gentrification, and the fight for affordability.

Clybourne Park, a Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play, recently staged at the Arvada Center in Colorado, uses satire and sharp dialogue to explore systemic racism, gentrification, and community identity — then and now. Set in a fictional South Chicago neighborhood, the play unfolds in two acts: the first in 1959 as a white couple sells their home to a Black family, and the second in 2009, with a white couple seeking to gentrify the same house in a now-majority-Black neighborhood.
The production, directed by Kenny Moten, highlights how deeply racism, classism, ableism, and exclusion are embedded in American society. Moten notes how these issues remain relevant today, challenging audiences to examine their role in division and disconnection.
The March 23 performance was followed by a community panel on housing issues, featuring experts from local affordable housing organizations and advocacy groups. They discussed the real-life housing crisis in Arvada — a suburb grappling with a $612,500 median home price — and the urgent need for collaboration to increase affordable housing access. Panelists emphasized how the arts can drive awareness and spark critical conversations around equity, displacement, and community futures.
Ultimately, Clybourne Park serves as both a mirror and a catalyst, encouraging audiences to reckon with the past and commit to building a more inclusive, just housing future.
FULL STORY: Clybourne Park on Stage, Housing Inequity in Real Life—A Post-Show Reflection

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie