HOUSTON GENTRIFICATION & THE METRO RAILCASE STUDY OF EADO & 3RD WARD HOUSTON

Frank RodriguezSOC 3380Urban InequalitySpring 2013

HOUSTON Quick look: vibrant, economically and racially diverse city

4th largest US city population; 2.1 billion according to the 2010 Census Popular immigration center also has the 2nd highest number of Fortune 500

Companies (second to NYC) Most economically segregated city in the US with a RISI Score of 24 (Pew

Research) “Area residents are pleased with Houston’s improving quality of place, but large proportions would prefer a

more urban, less car-centered lifestyle.” (Emerson & Klineberg 2013) Need for expanded METRO Rail

“To attract the most innovative companies and talented individuals, Houston will need to grow into a more environmentally and aesthetically appealing urban destination…” (Klineberg 2011)

Houston: Largest Racial & Ethnic Groups (2010 Census)Red indicates approximate landmass of Manhattan, NY

KEY ARGUMENT The presence of METRO Rail in majority-minority communities in

transition will continue to make the neighborhoods marketable for gentrification Gentrification

Those who are moving to the city are non-minorities Higher income Higher education

Displacement of the working poor who are “…torn from rich local social networks of information and cooperation…” (Newman & Wyly, 2005)

Benefits (beautification projects, parks, etc.) v. Losses Urban Renewal

Expansion of the central business district to the periphery (Hyra, 2012) Accessibility of shops, sporting complexes, and corporate skyscrapers

No longer purely racially salient complexities; interaction of race and class (Hyra, 2012)

The connection between upper-middle class areas and formerly working-class areas The Northside, East End, 3rd Ward with Downtown, The Galleria, Rice

University

EADO (EAST DOWNTOWN HOUSTON) – CENSUS TRACT 3102

Group 2000 Population (1,222)

2010 Population (1,463)

Percent Change 2000-

2010Not H/L

White Alone14 (1.2%) 535

(36.6%)+ 1,386

Not H/L Black Alone

579 (47.4%)

427 (29.2%)

-25%

Hispanic/Latino

620 (50.7) 331 (22.6%)

-41%

Shifting area demographics Potential patterns of displacement (by race) Higher income tastes and resources

Today’s EaDo employment is concentrated in professional areas 13% in Downtown, 20% in Galleria & Greenway Plaza Concentrations at the U. of Houston & Medical Center

Proximity to BBVA Compass Stadium: MLS Houston Dynamo Developers sought an area that was “changing from low

income to trendy” Cheap land cost and proximity to Downtown

Physical geography “Fortunate enough to have extensive grid system pattern of 2-

way streets…” Abundance of developable land with lots of potential for re-use

in promoting the “growth of a viable pedestrian environment” Social climate: pubs, nightlife, entertainment

3RD WARD Houston Access to Urban Sustainability Project

(HAUS Project) Co-op houses were a trend in the 60s and 70s, but

not in Houston Goal: “Provide affordable, sustainable,

cooperating housing in the accessible, urban core of the Houston region with close proximity to Houston’s growing light rail transit system.”

State Rep. Garnet Coleman (D) – 3rd Ward Houston “You displace people by price… because their

incomes are historically lower if you’re African-American.”

Seeks to preserve historical cultural relevance of 3rd Ward

METRO Rail Connectivity SE Line and University Line will pass through 3rd

Ward Connecting this community to the Galleria Historical cultural relevance evident in rail stop

designs

REFLECTION AND LOOKING AHEAD…

Expanded METRO Rail in areas near Downtown function alongside planning committee

“… create a high quality urban environment…”

Popular discourse: Houston no longer has a resource-based economy

Has been replaced with jobs that require higher education credentials and technical skills

Final argument: Houston’s “white-collar” employment sector is actually a new resource economy for new urbanites

Transportation, urban living, valued cultural and social capital work in favor for the middle and upper-middle class

In the new “high quality” urban areas, near Downtown, accessibility of goods and services is tailored to new residents who can afford them

Looking ahead: What are the displacement patterns? Where is public, affordable housing

being constructed?