Cities have to prioritize displacement as a policy issue if they want to achieve inclusive growth, writes David Whitehead.
As pro-growth and anti-gentrification advocates clash in cities across the U.S., Greater Greater Washington contributor David Whitehead suggests that one way to bridge the divide is by addressing the displacement caused by new development.
"The goals of redeveloping affordable homes, building more homes overall, and maintaining a clear path for original residents to return do not have to be at odds," he writes. If combined with tenant protections and preservation efforts, he argues, growth and redevelopment can be managed in a way that "does not pit the needs of our burgeoning population and the needs of more vulnerable residents against one another."
D.C.'s Comprehensive Plan—not uniquely—doesn't define any policy tools or funding mechanisms aimed at preventing displacement. To fill that gap, Whitehead lays out the principles behind a policy package proposed by the GGW team.
The package suggests new policy tools to preempt a few of the ways that new developments can directly cause displacement. Recommendations include requiring one-to-one replacement of affordable units in new developments, as well as build-first policies, in which existing apartments are not demolished until their replacements are ready. Funding proposals include:
…allowing zoning flexibility to build a taller building, using some of the profit generated from those extra units to subsidize in-house lower-cost units. That might mean expanding voucher programs like DC’s Low Rent Subsidy Program (LRSP), to help meet the gap between what families can afford and what it costs to build a low-cost home.
For more perspectives and debate on these ideas, look no further than the comments.
FULL STORY: DC’s Comprehensive Plan needs to treat displacement as a serious problem
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.
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.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
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.