Clybourne Park, a play exploring race, real estate, and community tensions, can set the stage for discussion on the lasting impacts of housing discrimination, gentrification, and the fight for affordability.
Clybourne Park, a Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play, recently staged at the Arvada Center in Colorado, uses satire and sharp dialogue to explore systemic racism, gentrification, and community identity — then and now. Set in a fictional South Chicago neighborhood, the play unfolds in two acts: the first in 1959 as a white couple sells their home to a Black family, and the second in 2009, with a white couple seeking to gentrify the same house in a now-majority-Black neighborhood.
The production, directed by Kenny Moten, highlights how deeply racism, classism, ableism, and exclusion are embedded in American society. Moten notes how these issues remain relevant today, challenging audiences to examine their role in division and disconnection.
The March 23 performance was followed by a community panel on housing issues, featuring experts from local affordable housing organizations and advocacy groups. They discussed the real-life housing crisis in Arvada — a suburb grappling with a $612,500 median home price — and the urgent need for collaboration to increase affordable housing access. Panelists emphasized how the arts can drive awareness and spark critical conversations around equity, displacement, and community futures.
Ultimately, Clybourne Park serves as both a mirror and a catalyst, encouraging audiences to reckon with the past and commit to building a more inclusive, just housing future.
FULL STORY: Clybourne Park on Stage, Housing Inequity in Real Life—A Post-Show Reflection
Report: Just 7 Percent of Homes for Sale Affordable to Black Households
The affordability crisis continues to impact American households across the board, with 16 percent of listings affordable to the average household.
Robert Moses, the Musical
A new musical has been written about Robert Moses and his impact on New York City. Robert A. Caro, Moses' Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, attends a rehearsal.
Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing
Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” philosophy.
The European Cities That Love E-Scooters — And Those That Don’t
Where they're working, where they're banned, and where they're just as annoying the tourists that use them.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)