Formal Title
roadsTaken: The History of Highway Displacement in Houston

Creator Names
Drwenski, Matt || Franco, Uilvim Ettore Gardin || Sousa, Bruno 

Preferred Citation

Matt Drwenski, Uilvim Ettore Gardin Franco, and Bruno Sousa, “roadsTaken: The History of
Highway Displacement in Houston,” Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public
Policy and the Center for Research Computing's Spatial Studies Lab, roadstaken.org.

Abstract or Description 
“roadsTaken” is an interactive map and geospatial database of buildings removed and people displaced that supports research on highway construction in Houston, Texas. Accompanying this map is a time slider that shows the progression of highway displacement and construction year by year. Displayed alongside the interactive database are historical maps of Houston, aerial photography before and after highway construction, freeway plans and proposals, and details about each of the more than 11,000 structures in our database of buildings removed for urban freeways.

The map also estimates the number of individuals displaced by highway construction between 1946 and 1974, who were mostly Black Houstonians. We hope this history will allow both the public and policymakers to explore the legacies of segregation and inequality as debates over the rebuilding, reshaping, and expansion of Houston's highway system continue.

Keywords
Houston, highways, infrastructure, construction, transportation, urban design, urban development, urban displacement, urban renewal, urban planning, GIS, digital humanities 

MapLayers - Layer Files Folder
Contains all layer packages (for use in ArcGIS) used to construct interactive map.

DataTables 
Contains all tabular files used to construct structures database, demographic estimates, and building information display

ResearchBriefs 
Contains .pdf and .rtf files of research brief introduction, methodology, history, and consequences. Also contains project acknowledgments and map sources. 

ExperienceBuilder
Contains a .zip file used to construct the interactive website (using ArcGIS Experience Builder, Developer Edition).