�����Planning the Barrio: Ethnic Identity and Struggles over Transit Oriented Development��University of Washington�June 1st, 2023

Gerardo F. Sandoval, PhD Professor

School of Planning, Public Policy and Management

University of Oregon

Key Themes: Climate/Racial Equity

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How can we revitalize low-income racialized neighborhoods without leading to gentrification?

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“Gentrification is one of the things that keeps me up at night. [Boyle Heights] is one of the oldest barrios in the country with a long standing history of social movement, culture, art, families, networks of families, both formal and informal, tradition, in terms of Chicano identity, Latino identity. So it would be devastating, I think, to lose such a resource for the world."

-Boyle Heights Neighborhood Activist

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How and why I came to study these barrios– MacArthur Park

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Literature

• Transportation Justice
• Mohl, 2008; Avila, 2014; Bullard and Johnson, 1997
• Gentrification
• Bates, 2013; Freeman, 2001; Chapple, 2016; Kenney and Leonard, 2001; Gould and Lewis, 2016; Loukaitou-Sideris, Gonzalez, and Ong, 2017; Chapple and Loukaitou-Sideris, 2017
• Latino Urbanism/ Barrio Urbanism
• Villa, 2000; Diaz, 2005; Diaz and Torres, 2012; Arreola, 2004; Valle and Torres, 2000

Planning and Sustainable Cities and Regions, Karen Chapple: underscores the importance of mitigating for neighborhood turnover, especially in transit-rich low-income communities. She states that “understanding how these processes of public investment in low-income neighborhoods unfold, as well as organizing proactive community responses, is critical if we want to take advantage of rare opportunities for more equitable development”.

Justification of Research Approach

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• Investigating redevelopment efforts via TOD’s in the Fruitvale, (Oakland), Boyle Heights (Los Angeles), and Barrio Logan (San Diego)
• Multiple site in-depth narrative case studies
• Framework: The City and the Grassroots (Castells, 1983).

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• Initial research question(s):

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• What strategies and tools are available to planners and urban transportation policymakers to help them mitigate potential gentrification from their TOD investments?

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• What can urban planners learn from the experiences of neighborhood change in these Latino neighborhoods?

The City and the Grassroots explains impetus of urban social movements

(Manuel Castells, 1983).

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1. Demands focused on collective consumption, that is, goods and services directly or indirectly provided by the state (in this case, investments in public transportation infrastructure).

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• Political mobilization in relationship to the state, particularly emphasizing the role of local government.

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• Defense of cultural identity associated with and organized around a specific territory, (in this case, the barrio).

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Mobilizing Political Capital�(Fruitvale, Oakland)

• BART unveils construction plans for a multi-storied parking structure at its Fruitvale station (1991).
• Community opposes plan: BART agrees to have Unity Council as developer of mixed-use housing and retail TOD.
• Funding: 30 different sources: (total cost - $52 million)
• Unity Council
• Formed out of 1960’s activism
• Led by Chicana activists
• Arabella Martinez and her political networks
• Latino pan-ethnic umbrella with strong ties in neighborhood.
• Has a long history of providing social services in the neighborhood.
• Conducted one-on-one outreach to local businesses concerned with gentrification .

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����“We were stewards of the community. This wasn't an outside developer [building a TOD]. It wasn't the government coming in. We, in fact, opposed BART in terms of what they wanted to do. We led that fight. We led the fight in terms of community policing too. We led the fight in terms of better recreational facilities and programs. So I think partly it has to do with that sort of stewards of the community mindset.” ��- Unity Council staff member���

TOD’s impact on International Blvd

• Local small businesses opposed TOD because of worries over gentrification
• Unity Council addressed those worries via extensive community outreach
• Small business growth and revitalization
• Pedestrian access from the BART station.

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• “The Transit Village Project was a catalyst that took store fronts and businesses along International Blvd from 40 percent occupied to 98 percent today.” – Local politician

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• Business Improvement District (BID)

Opening BART station to neighborhood

• Paseo
• Connected BART station to International Blvd via TOD
• Plaza within the Paseo
• Mercado also helps keep Paseo vibrant
• A direct sightline to St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral

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• Dia de Los Muertos
• Brings thousands of people into the neighborhood
• Dance troupes and musicians – individual altars and memorials to commemorate the dead

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Latina Participation in TOD projects

• Latinas played key decision making roles in TOD’s
• Arabella Martinez in Oakland
• Gloria Molina in LA and Boyle Heights
• Rachel Ortiz in Barrio Logan

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• Latinas as protectors of the Barrios

“Between Arabella and me, Latinas, and most of the businesses along International Boulevard are Mexicanos. So you have the big mouth Latina leading the organization and you have the Mexicanos [accentuating the “os,” for males].

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Ha, ha, ha, ha, capital OS, right, so there was quite a bit of tension there. I didn’t have time to play the subordinate Latina. Right away they wanted to criticize”.

- Fruitvale Leader

Grassroots Resistance (Boyle Heights, LA)���“We have been part of pushing back the development in Boyle Heights. We were part of the Committee Alliance for Boyle Heights made up of: Inner City Struggle, Union de Vecinos, Homies Unidos and East LA Community Development Corporation. We all worked together to push back …. on changes to Boyle Heights. We are becoming more involved in housing issues because we know we will need a united force to push back on gentrification”. ��-Boyle Heights Housing Activist

Conflicts over Tenant Displacement

• Freeways served to segregate the neighborhood

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• Largest public housing project west of the Mississippi River

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• Public Housing demolished for the construction of HOPE VI Project
• 230 families displaced

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• Public Investments include:
• Light-rail, new high school, HOPE VI, community services, affordable housing

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Conflicts over gentrification

• Gloria Molina advocated for Gold Line
• Opened 2009
• Mariachi Plaza
• Refurbished Boyle Hotel
• “Affordable housing” projects
• 30-60% AMI but using County that has family of 4 at $81,000

• Gentrification backlash
• METRO commercial development
• Medical offices opposed
• Protecting the murals

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Everyone said, “Hell no.” They reacted and moved against it… We also said, “Save the murals.” Although they are little Mickey Mouse murals, very small. Murals are our culture, you know. Mariachi Plaza and murals, save our culture! You know. So they [METRO] backed off and went back to the drawing board”.

-Boyle Heights political activist

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• Art galleries
• Coffee Shops
• Chipster Conflicts (gentrification from Latinos of a higher income)

Mobilizing Symbolic Capital�(Chicano Park)�

“In order to find justice you have to put it on the wall, where everyone can see it”.

- Chicano Park Artist

• Concentration of Chicano activists who actively protect the Latino cultural identity of their community.

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• Activists involved in the takeover of Chicano Park (1970’s) were involved in the Chicano Movement. 

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• Symbol of resistance and cultural placemaking
• important public space

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• Chicano Park has played an important role in Chicano activist movements for self-determination and cultural empowerment.

“Chicano Park is the umbilical cord of our culture, of our Latin culture. It gives us a sense of pride, like, we are here. Whether “immigrants” stay here or move on north. The park is a welcoming sign”.

-Chicano Park Artist

Chicano Park’s symbolic role

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• The process to develop a project in Barrio Logan took 25 years

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• Public Participation was key
• The Chicano Park Steering Committee
• Environmental Health Coalition
• Barrio Station

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• Rachel Ortiz was a key community activist in the process.
• City staff: “Rachel has a lot of power in Barrio Logan and if you don’t get her approval, your project will not go forward”.

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• Organizations agreed that the community needed a new supermarket.

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• The project changed from market based housing to affordable housing due to pressure from CBO’s.

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• TOD now serving as a catalyst for development in the neighborhood

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• 2^nd TOD constructed in Barrio Logan (COM22)
• Senior Affordable Housing
• Social Services
• Public Art

New investments in the neighborhood include:

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• Upgrading of the Trolley station
• Affordable housing units
• Latino owned supermarket
• A plaza and local commercial retail
• A new community college in front of Trolley Station
• A new Barrio Logan Gateway Sign

Gateway Arch

• Representing key aspects of Aztec and Mayan cultural significance
• Artist Armando Nunez had the idea of a welcoming sign in the barrio 30 years ago

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“The gateway is like saying, welcome to Barrio Logan. Welcome to our community. This is our community and we are very proud. But make sure you respect our community. Don't come here tearing our community down. It's a statement saying, hey, you’re welcome to my house, but don't put your feet on my table or don't start throwing crap all over the place, this is my community, it's my house. That's the statement we are trying to make. Keeping the roots of our history, preserving our traditions. We have to emphasize that all the time”.

-Chicano Park Artist

Barrio Logan Gateway Arch is a photograph by Robert VanDerWal

• Conflicts with Aztec dancers: Dancers have been drumming for 40 years. Residents of the new development complained to police and their drums were confiscated. So community organizations had to intervene.

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• Chipsters and gentefication issues: new Chicano businesses opening up on Logan Ave. Middle class Chicanos moving into the neighborhood

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• Barrio Logan Arts Crawl: Chicano artist displaying their work and drawing people from outside the neighborhood. Seems like a positive development but also speaks to gentrification concerns.

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Emerging neighborhood changes

Cultural ethnic identity formed the basis of collective actions against Transit Oriented Development-induced gentrification.

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Cultural identity as a form of:

• resistance
• political mobilization
• claims to territory

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The Latino anti-gentrification movements in these barrios are a continuation of historical battles for transportation justice. These struggles over collective consumption helped Latinos reassert control over their neighborhoods by creating spaces for meaningful participation in the development process, thereby transforming these transportation investments into community driven projects and encouraging opportunities for community benefits.

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Conclusion

Tools for encouraging equity in TOD’s �

• Building affordable housing
• Linked to income of current residents
• Supporting Latino culturally relevant public spaces
• Investing in community-based public arts
• Collaborating with activists in the neighborhoods to make these TOD’s more community oriented
• Supporting a diverse local small business base
• Engaging in authentic public participation
• Power in decision making

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• Climate change via the built environment
• Increased housing density
• Regional public transportation
• Subway, light rail, bus transit hub
• Ground floor commercial retail and services
• Active transportation
• Green infrastructure

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• Racial Equity
• Ameliorating institutional racism
• Redistribution = public goods
• Recognition = ethnic identity, culture

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Climate Racial Equity