Related Research
Contributing Experts
“roadsTaken” is an interactive map and geospatial database of buildings removed and people displaced by 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.
Scroll to read more about the project and its methodology, the history of Houston highway planning, and the consequences of highway development for Houstonians — especially the city’s communities of color — in the “Related Research” section.
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 created 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.
Comments, suggestions, corrections, criticism, and other feedback are welcome. Contact the authors at [email protected].
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:
For more about the design and display of “roadsTaken,” scroll to read “roadsTaken: Methodology.”
For more about the history of highway displacement in Houston and its impacts, scroll to the ”Related Research“ section.