Property values have skyrocketed on St. Simons Island, a popular resort destination on Georgia's coast, and developers are now pressuring the island's black residents to sell their landholdings.
"Elouise Spears, 70, is sitting on a developer's dream: 21 acres of live oak-shaded waterfront high ground on St. Simons Island; property her family has owned in the island's historically black Harrington community since the Civil War. Tired of strangers knocking on her door with offers to buy her land, Spears recently posted a sign: "Don't Ask, Won't Sell." "I put the sign out because I don't want to be bothered again," said Spears, a retired registered nurse. "I've lived on St. Simons most of my life. If I do sell, where will I go?" Soaring property values have prompted realtors and developers to target St. Simons' three historically black communities where some of the island's last large landholdings are available for development. Like Spears, many other longtime black property owners have erected the "Don't Ask, Won't Sell" signs."
Thanks to Christian Peralta
FULL STORY: ST. SIMONS ISLAND: Black owners hold tight to land
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?
Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)