|
Winter 2008 Latinos and Planning Click here to download IN THIS ISSUE...
When discussing planning and communities, one question we need to raise, is: what can possibly happen without any planning? How is space shared in "free markets"? What can possibly happen on housing and land markets in a "free market economy" with "no intervention"? Colonias in Texas can happen, and actually, they happened. What is a colonia? Colonia is a Spanish word that means community or neighborhood. The office of the Texas Secretary of State defines colonia as a residential area along the Texas-Mexico border that may lack some of the most basic living necessities, such as potable water and sewer systems, electricity, paved roads, and safe and sanitary housing. However, various state and federal agencies define colonias in a different way, mainly due to funding requirements. As a result of the many different implementing definitions, the challenge of providing services to colonia residents is one of the most complex human health and environmental problems facing Texas today. It requires working with multiple levels of government and overcoming hurdles impose by each agency, many of which come and go, depending on the political and economic climate. Further, the State of Texas has not formally adopted a specific definition of a "border county." Therefore, the applied definition of a "border county" is interpreted differently within the various government agencies and organizations in order to address a certain issue, confusing even more the specific definition of colonia. About 400,000 Texans live in border colonias. Overall, the colonia population is predominately Hispanic, with more than 90 percent falling in this category. Contrary to general believe, these are not foreign communities: 64.4 percent of all colonia residents and 85 percent of those residents under 18 were born in the United States. These are, indeed, American communities. Colonias share some basic characteristics. First, they are very poor communities with little of no basic infrastructure. Median household income in colonias is less than half national levels; per capita income is worse, being about ¼ of national levels (larger family size in colonias account for such figures), and more than ½ population live below poverty level. One of the most challenging problems of colonias from a planning perspective is their location. Without much regulation, and with no planning involved, colonias have located on un-regulated land, and many of them exist in flooding areas. This is the exact reason why, in many cases, buyers were able to afford almost unusable very "cheap" land that happened to be in flooding areas. An obvious direct consequence is the lack of environmental impact assessment. Far from urban areas, colonias lack paved roads, walking areas, and almost none of them have green public spaces. With no parks, and few paved roads, health issues arise constantly. Lack of transportation is also prevalent and mobility issues are widespread. Further, as lots were not platted, a myriad of conflicts have arised frequently about lot boundaries. Several state and federal programs have focus specifically on colonias, but funding and implementation has been limited and insufficient. Nevertheless, some basic needs are now being met, and most colonias have now at least water and electricity. But still not all have these services, and the lack of wastewater services is still prevalent. Despite the many limitations, and the obvious problems in colonias, the determination and working capacity of local residents is unmistakable. Some colonias are actually becoming communities based on the hard work of local residents who, as a majority, have built their houses themselves. Although in recent years, the state of Texas has outlawed many of the legal practices that resulted in colonias, the basic explaining reasons for their creation, remain the same: poverty is still prevalent, and access to credit is almost inexistent. What are the key elements for planning in colonias? Several issues are relevant when we propose planning in colonias: first, housing. This is a pressing need that has to be addressed. A common pattern in colonias is what is called incremental construction, as residents build their houses as money is available. This has been a way to resolve the housing needs and perhaps construction codes need to be re-defined to let more colonia residents have access to credit. Another pressing planning concern is related to sanitary conditions in colonias. Lack of water and sewage result on very unhealthy communities. Transportation and mobility needs are also to be addressed if planning in colonias aims at improving living conditions. One of the big inquiries is: who is responsible for planning in colonias? Most of them do not belong to cities, they "belong" to counties, but this is more by default than by choice. Even in the few cases in which the size of colonias make possible to have the status of a city (like in the case of El Cenizo in Webb County), the modest property values result on very limited funding, making very difficult to implement the needed improvements. There is a strong need for a COMPREHENSIVE planning approach, taking into account the economic, institutional and legal framework for sustainable development of low-income Latino Communities as colonias Notes 1. Larson, J. 1995. Free markets in the heart of Texas. Georgetown Law Journal 84: 179-260 2. OAG (Office of the Attorney General of Texas) (2006). "Glossary of Terms & Abbreviations Related to Colonias-Prevention Laws." http://www.oag.state.tx.us/border/glossary.shtml. Undated web page; accessed February 9, 2006. 3. Ward, P., F. de Souza, and C. Giusti (2004). "Colonia Land and Housing Market Performance and the Impact of Lot Title Regularization in Texas. Journal of Urban Studies 41 (13), 2621-2646. 4. Giusti, C., J. Larson, P. Ward, F. de Souza and M. (2007) Land Titling in Starr County Colonias Along the Texas–Mexico Border: Planning and Stability Issues. MIT – PROJECTIONS – Fall (6): 34-53. Dr. Giusti is Assistant Professor at the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning in the College of Architecture. She teaches courses and does research on economics and land development. February 15, 2008 Texas A&M University College of Architecture Keynote Speaker Learn more about the dialogo at: http://archone.tamu.edu/conted/Dialogo/Dialogo_Home.html Latino Dialogo in Texas is presented by The Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, the College of Architecture and the Center for Housing and Urban Development. In partnership with the cities of Bryan and College Station, Tx and the Brazos Valley Council of Governments. Latino Dialogo in Texas is part of a national initiative of the Latinos and Planning Division of the American Planning Association. It is one of several such regional discussions organized across the nation. Anyone who works on planning issues affecting Latino communities is invited.
Latinos and Planning Lunch and Tour Latinos and Planning Business Meeting Latino USA: Reshaping American Suburbs Diversity Forum Contested Space: Latinos and Public Spaces Creative and Inclusive Planning Alternatives Questions? Contact LAP Conference Coordinator: Irayda Ruiz iraydaruiz@gmail.com
LOS ANGELES, CA The theme of the event and discussion was centered on the settlement of Latinos in large parts of Los Angeles Country, and how they bring with them a different use of urban space to the existing built environment and how this impacts transportation, open space, and economic development in the region. The event was organized as a panel discussion, moderated by James Rojas, with three of Southern California's scholars on the topic including: Professor Clara Irazabel (USC), Professor Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris (UCLA), and Professor Ana Maria Whitaker (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona). The event was part of the American Planning Association National Community Planning Month and sponsored locally by Latinos and Planning, Los Angeles Chapter, the Latino Urban Forum, and the American Planning Student Association at Cal Poly Pomona. SAN DIEGO, CA Approximately 27 individuals attended the event from various organizations and communities within the San Diego region and elsewhere in California, other states, and Mexico. Some of the top planning related issues facing Latino communities in the San Diego region identified in the event included: increased collaborative planning, need for specialty training in community planning and the political process, as well as a need for more planners that are representative of the communities they serve. For an event summary, please find more information on the Latinos and Planning Division website at: http://www.planning.org/latinos/member/pdf/1007NetworkingEventsummary.pdf The event was organized by Danny Serrano (Jones and Stokes), Connery Cepeda (Caltrans), Chantelle Swaby (San Diego County Planning), Juan Antonio Ramirez (City Heights CDC) and David Flores (Casa Familiar). The APA San Diego Chapter and Casa Familiar hosted the event. CALIFORNIA The event included keynote speaker Dr. Carla Corroto, the main speaker provided perspective on the staggering statistics within the planning profession and the need to recognize differences while valuing diversity in the quest to increase the number of people of color within the profession. Dr. Corroto's speech was followed by facilitated roundtable discussions. The goal of the discussions was to identify specific actions in moving the Membership Inclusion Proposal agenda throughout the state. The result of the discussion varied but a specific action that stood out was education. The need for education on various levels was identified including, but not limited to:
The event was coordinated by the Northern California Chapter Board and its Diversity Subcommittee as well as assistance from the National Diversity Committee. These issues are intended to be followed up in the upcoming California Chapter State Conference in Hollywood, CA September 21-24, 2008.
Ayer, ahora y mañana: Latinos and Planning doing good and doing better January is the time for looking backward and forward. Looking back to 2007, I'm happy with how much we were able to do in our first full year as a division of the American Planning Association. Looking forward to 2008, I'm excited. Latinos and Planning has two goals: address urban planning issues facing Latino communities and address professional development issues facing Latino planners. We have made some significant progress toward both of these goals. The group is growing. The Latinos and Planning Network has about 250 members, while the Division (which is made up of paying members) has nearly 100 members. This represents increases of about 25% and 33% over the same time last year. Latinos and Planning has become a gateway for talented Latino planners to take on leadership roles within the planning field. Several of our members and leaders have been selected to be on influential committees within the American Planning Association. The Vice Chair, Irayda Ruiz, is running to become a member of the APA's Board of Directors. Our members also learn about job and networking opportunities from around the United States. Organizations that want to hire talented Latino planners send their job listings to the Division. In our first full year as a division, we had a great presence at the 2007 APA National Conference in Philadelphia, thanks largely to the leadership of Irayda Ruiz. A panel session on land use and urban design in Latino communities drew a packed crowd to a large room. We also had a bus tour of several Latino neighborhoods in the city, thanks to division members Annabella Roig and David Ortiz, who are both based in Philadelphia. The Minnesota Local Action Network of Latinos and Planning held a dialogo early in February 2007, thanks to Margaret Villanueva and Rich Martinez. The Los Angeles Local Action Network has organized two events in April and October, 2007 thanks to the leadership of David Salazar and James Rojas. The San Diego Local Action Network has also held an event focusing on the addressing the needs of Latino communities in October 2007. The Texas Local Action Network, under the leadership of Cecilia Giusti and Miriam Olivares, is preparing a dialogo in College Station, Texas that is expected to draw up to 200 professionals and scheduled for February 15, 2008. We don't just talk about planning for Latino communities. A committee has been formed to provide funding for local initiatives that address the key issues facing Latino communities, as defined in the National Agenda. (See the Latinos and Planning website for more information.) The committee is expected to begin making funding decisions as early as the first quarter of 2008 We also received our first donation — $250 from an anonymous donor to help Latino planners and students become members of the Division. We are finalizing a new strategic plan and are reorganizing ourselves to become a stronger and more influential voice in the planning field. Through our 100% Leadership effort — which builds the capacity of our leaders to help govern the group — we expect to have a lot more accomplishments in this and the coming year. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we are now moving from a start-up to a stable organization. The Executive Committee recently agreed to provide funding support to the Texas dialogo and a lead speaker at one of our sessions at the APA national conference. We plan to do more to help us move from talk to action. But please know that we need the support of you and your colleagues. We have incredibly dedicated volunteers, and they will appreciate your help. We've been able to work efficiently, but it does take money to deliver events, conferences, workshops, and other ways to implement our agenda. There are several ways you can help. If you're not a member, become one. If you are, ask your friends to join. Or, you can provide a financial contribution to Latinos and Planning. A small amount of your support can go a long way to helping us meet the goals that we all share. Leonardo Vasquez, AICP There's still time to register for the Conference and join in on the fun. Go to: http://planning.org/nationalconference/ Build your own conference with the online schedule-builder or choose one of the suggested schedules.
As of October, 2007 Jennyffer E. Vargas Alexis M. Soto Colorado Veda Ramsay-Stamp Maria Isabel Fernandez Victor U. Estrada Antonio Sandoval III Michael A. Mata Laura Benson Silvia Vargas, AICP Marcos Antonio Fernandez, AICP Keith John Woodcock Shawnika Johnson Emilia Mendoza Christopher R. Ramirez Teresa M. Machado
| |
Printer-Friendly Format
