About roadsTaken

“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.

Click the “User Guide” button in the top right corner of the map to learn how to navigate the “roadsTaken” map and database.

This project was led by Edward M. Emmett, with analytical support, data collection, and map development by Matt Drwenski of the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies and Uilvim Ettore Gardin Franco and Bruno Sousa of Rice University’s Spatial Studies Lab in collaboration with Diluvial Houston. Financial support for this effort was provided by the Center for Energy Studies, with additional contributions from Diluvial Houston.

Comments, suggestions, corrections, criticism, and other feedback are welcome. Contact the authors at [email protected].

Data

Map of 1968 Houston and Harris County transportation study — Houston Harris County Transportation Study, 1968. Courtesy of Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

The primary display shows buildings — houses, apartments, stores, churches, and other structures — that were cleared as the Houston highway network was built. Each building’s function and street address can be viewed alongside the names of residents and their census records. Users can advance or reverse the time slider to see highway construction and estimates of people displaced over the years. This information is visible in the upper right of the display, where users can also view aerial photos and newspaper articles.

Users can also view the following geospatial information using the map:

Historical maps of the city of Houston.
Highway and street plans.
Estimates of population displacement by race.
Historical maps of the city’s demographics.
Proposed plans for race restriction areas.
Seven aerial photograph mosaics from 1938–92.
A catalog of over 250 historical photographs and mapped “view cones” of the images.
Over 50 key newspaper articles on highway construction and planning.
Redlined neighborhoods, historical railroads, industrial zones, and other relevant geospatial information.

For more about the design and display of “roadsTaken,” scroll to read “roadsTaken: Methodology.”

Key Findings

Estimated Highway Displacements in Houston by Race, 1940–75

Matt Drwenski, Uilvim Gardin Franco, and Bruno Sousa.

Over 11,000 structures were demolished or moved to build Houston’s freeways.
It is estimated that over 21,000 Houstonians were displaced by urban freeway construction from 1940–75.
Renting, low-income, and non-white Houstonians were more likely to be displaced than homeowners or rich or white Houstonians.
Black Houstonians, who made up around 20% of the area’s population, were disproportionately displaced by highway construction during that time.
Planners viewed many Black, brown, and low-income neighborhoods as “blighted” or “slums” and deemed certain neighborhoods “declining” or “hazardous.”
Highway plans closely align with plans for increased segregation made by the city before World War II. After desegregation, city planners advanced plans in ways that avoided legal challenges based on segregation.
Across the nation, interstate highways connected centers of regional commerce, which were the downtowns of many cities. In Houston, prior segregation policies had mandated Black neighborhoods that encircled the city’s downtown. When highways were constructed, they disrupted those neighborhoods.
It is an error to consider only highway planning at the time of displacement and construction. The decision point for development was alignment. Several neighborhoods changed dramatically after highways were aligned and before construction.

For more about the history of highway displacement in Houston and its impacts, scroll to the ”Related Research“ section.

Interactive Map

Related Research

Edward M. Emmett

Houston’s Freeways: Who Was Displaced and Why?

Some scholars claim freeways were designed to adversely impact neighborhoods of color. This oversimplifies the issue, writes Ed Emmett. This research paper explores the history of Houston’s freeways to uncover a range of factors at play.

Read