When neighborhoods gentrify and displace lower-income residents, transit ridership suffers, new research shows.
In a piece for CalMatters, Ben Christopher explains how the housing crisis is intertwined with the crisis facing public transit agencies, using Los Angeles as an example.
As neighborhoods gentrified and median incomes increased, Christopher explains, fewer residents rode the bus. This means lower revenues that harm the entire system and lead to service cuts.
According to a study led by UCLA professor Michael Manville, frequent transit users displaced from gentrifying neighborhoods are likely to end up in areas with fewer transit options. “Fewer transportation options have been found to put a person at risk of higher unemployment, poorer health and more pronounced social isolation.”
The “suburbanization of poverty” is having similar impacts in other parts of the country, where people displaced from dense urban areas are forced to move to more car-dependent suburbs.
State legislators are attempting to address the conjoined crises through bills such as SB 79, which would permit denser housing construction near transit. However, critics of the bill say it does not include enough safeguards for affordability.
FULL STORY: How gentrification is killing the bus: California’s rising rents are pushing out commuters
L.A. Crafting Legislation for 'Anti-Displacement Zones'
The idea that new development results in rising costs for renters in the surrounding neighborhood drives a new effort in Los Angeles.
Louisville Launches ‘Anti-Displacement Tool’
After a years-long, tenant-led effort, Louisville will use a new tool to analyze whether a proposed housing development can meet a neighborhood’s housing needs and income levels. If it doesn’t, the city won’t subsidize it.
Can Zoning Reform Save Pittsburgh’s Affordable Housing?
With home sale prices growing faster than anywhere in the country, the Steel City could enact major reforms to boost density and lower housing costs.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
The Growing Challenge of Orphan Oil Wells in America
Orphan oil wells—abandoned, undocumented, and often leaking methane—pose a widespread environmental and climate threat across the U.S., and finding them is just the beginning of a costly and urgent cleanup effort.
After a Six-Year Struggle, Tenants in Boston’s Mattapan Neighborhood Win Permanent Affordability
When a new owner imposed sharp rent hikes in 2018, tenants organized and fought back. Now, more than 300 housing units will be affordable for the foreseeable future. Here’s how the tenants made it happen.
DOT Officially Cancels California High-Speed Rail Funding
The Trump administration has repeatedly taken aim at the LA-to-Bay Area rail project, blaming Democratic leaders for cost overruns and delays.
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