On the ground, combating gentrification means putting a stop to cost-driven displacement and evictions. Grassroots organizations in some of the hardest-hit cities have dedicated themselves to that task.
Alexis Stephens reports on continuing activism in three cities to curtail displacement and evictions brought about by gentrification. Shifting land use patterns in Detroit, San Francisco, and Brooklyn have all met vocal opposition from longtime residents. From the article:
- Detroit: "An unprecedented 62,000 homes are scheduled for a mass foreclosure by Wayne County on March 31. These properties represent $326.4 million in taxes, interest and fees to Detroit. [...] An emergency assembly organized by the Moratorium Now Coalition took place on March 14 at Christ Church Detroit. Leaders of the coalition say this event should be treated as the same type of state of emergency responsiveness as a natural disaster."
- San Francisco: "[Anti-Eviction Mapping Project] has compiled data showing a loss of more than 3,278 rent controlled units in the city from 2007-2014. Counting the nearly 4,978 affordable housing units produced in the same time period, the net affordable housing stock in the city is only up 1,700 units."
- Brooklyn: "A project of the grassroots organization Equality for Flatbush, B4G is currently hosting forums throughout Brooklyn this spring discussing their six-point 'This is a No-Eviction Zone' campaign and providing legal, housing and community organizing resources."
FULL STORY: How Activists in 3 Cities Are Fighting Evictions
Getting Residents Engaged in Participatory Mapping
Participatory mapping has become an increasingly popular planning tool. The examples that follow highlight how communities are using participatory mapping.
Tech Shuttle Pilot Might Stick Around San Francisco
They're hated by many, blamed for the city's gentrification, but are an integral part of regional transportation, enabling tech employees to work on the Peninsula and South Bay while living in the city. A city-approved pilot may become permanent.
Residents Forced Out of Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown
Can a neighborhood still call itself Chinatown when everyone living there is wealthy and white? Beset by rapid gentrification, longtime residents of D.C.'s Chinatown fight to keep their homes.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
