Sustainability and vulnerability: integrating equity into plans for central city redevelopment

Abstract

Cities around the US are promoting redevelopment efforts in central city neighborhoods in order to foster more-sustainable development patterns. In this paper, we argue that such plans must be grounded in an assessment of the current conditions and existing populations in these neighborhoods. We propose a new way to frame plans for existing communities, using the concept of vulnerability to help us connect current conditions and future goals. Through a case study of the planning process for a transit-oriented redevelopment plan for a central neighborhood in Austin, Texas, we illustrate the difference between current approaches and an alternative approach.

Keywords:

• sustainability
• vulnerability
• gentrification
• redevelopment

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dana Stovall Garcia, Christine Pusch and Ruby Roa for able research assistance. They also thank the residents of East Riverside, the city planners and elementary school principals and ministers who shared their views with us. We also thank those attending an early presentation of this work at the 2009 annual meeting of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning for their encouragement and feedback. Finally, we thank the journal editors and reviewers.

Notes

1. The two planning areas were the Montopolis Planning Area and the East Riverside/Oltorf Combined Neighborhood Planning Area.

2. “The quality of the city’s housing and neighborhoods, including older, centrally located neighborhoods, is important to the well-being of every resident in the community” (City of Austin 1979, p. 64). Stated sub-goals included: “protect existing neighborhoods from the intrusion of higher intensity land uses” and “increase the power of neighborhood residents in decisions affecting the neighborhood” (City of Austin 1979, p. 64).