When the Real Estate Market Ruins Your Plans

Planners in Houston finally establish a municipal land-bank program for redevelopment, but find after years of delays, that the real estate market has changed.

1 minute read

July 15, 2004, 1:00 PM PDT

By Connie Chung


"In the mid-1990s, when officials decided to establish a land-bank program in Houston, the Third Ward seemed an ideal laboratory for the city's newest experiment in urban redevelopment....The land bank would sell abandoned property to developers at below-market prices to promote construction of low- and moderate-income housing." The city finally established the Land Assemblage Redevelopment Authority, which oversees the land bank program, but "finds itself at a disadvantage as it competes with Houston's freewheeling development tradition." Unlike the municipal land bank program in Dallas, the Houston program currently does not "have the authority to acquire tax-delinquent property before it becomes available to the public." In addition, the demand for property near downtown Houston "regardless of its condition, is rising."

Many people have raised concerns over the land bank concept. Some are skeptical, saying that that there is no need for city intervention if the market is already addressing the blighted area of the Third Ward on its own. On the other side of the spectrum, community groups are concerned that "there is always a risk that such programs will benefit private development interests rather than neighborhood residents."

Thanks to Connie Chung

Sunday, July 11, 2004 in The Chicago Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

"Altadena - Not For Sale" yard sign in front of burned down house after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California in January 2025.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations

Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

July 7 - Dwell

Dense multistory residential buildings in hilly San Francisco, California.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean

Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

July 7 - The San Francisco Standard

Blue self-driving Ford Transit van shuttle in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US

A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.

July 7 - Smart Cities Dive

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.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA