As middle and upper class black families increasingly move to the suburbs of Phoenix, they must cope with the loss of cultural connections that existed in historically black neighborhoods.
"Bari-Ellen Ross moved to a gated neighborhood in the Phoenix suburb of Litchfield Park from the East Coast four years ago. Newly married and adventurous, she and her husband, Charles, left their corporate jobs to start a new life.
But once the moving boxes were unpacked, culture shock set in for the black couple. It was rare to run into people who looked like them. And where were the jazz clubs, the soul-food restaurants and black beauty salons?"
" 'I've settled into the mentality that that part of my life, that intimacy with my culture, is gone,' Bari-Ellen, 54, said."
"The Rosses' experience is beginning to define what it's like to be black in metropolitan Phoenix as the area's growing black population evolves from a tight-knit community concentrated mostly in south Phoenix into a patchwork scattered throughout the area."
FULL STORY: Longing for a sense of place
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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.
Cuomo Is the Candidate of Both NIMBYs and Developers. What Gives?
In the New York City mayoral race, odd bedfellows align to preserve the housing status quo.
San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
Charlottesville Temporarily Has No Zoning Code
A judge ordered the Virginia city to throw out its newly revised zoning code, leaving permitting for new development in legal limbo.
In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won
A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont