Urban redevelopment of this Maryland suburb is a model of equity for immigrant populations

In a case study of Wheaton, Maryland, NCSG Director of Community Development Willow Lung-Amam explores “urban-like” development patterns in the suburbs and the struggles over gentrification and displacement. The article, published by the Journal of Urban Affairs, explores how redevelopment impacted suburban immigrants and small businesses in the region and how they fought back. Interviews with key stakeholders and examination of secondary documents about Wheaton’s redevelopment show the challenges of advancing equitable development in suburbs. Grassroots activists and grasstops policymakers have slowly built the capacity of communities to balance the scales of development. As suburbs redevelop, the article offers lessons about the consequences for socially and economically vulnerable groups and the political and community-based structures and support needed to advance equitable outcomes.

Read “Surviving suburban redevelopment: Resisting the displacement of immigrant-owned small businesses in Wheaton, Maryland.”