Chicago neighborhood combats gentrification with a focus on affordable housing

In Chicago's Logan Square, activists fight gentrification and climate change by advocating for affordable housing near transit.

Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco reports for Grist.

In short:

• The push for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Logan Square aims to create inclusive, sustainable communities but faces challenges due to gentrification.
• TOD's goal is to reduce car dependency by developing residential areas near public transit, yet it's been criticized for favoring affluent tenants.
• Local activists and organizations are achieving success in integrating affordable housing and public spaces, aiming for a balanced urban development.

Key quote:

“The irony is that in the pursuit of more walkable cities, we’re actually making it so that people of color in general have to be more reliant on cars.”

— Christian Diaz, housing director at Palenque LSNA

Why this matters:

Gentrification, the process by which wealthier individuals move into neighborhoods — often displacing lower-income residents in the process — has increasingly intersected with climate change, creating a complex web of social and environmental impacts.