ABSTRACT
Of all the territory that makes up the urban landscape, the most central in life is the home and its neighborhood. The neighborhood is the smallest political unit that is defined by physical space, whether that be the houses along a street, around a park, between some natural boundaries, or within a township. It is in the neighborhood, then, where the interaction between space and society goes public. Thus, it is not surprising that environmental planners and designers are involved in neighborhoods, guiding the everchanging system toward often ambiguous desired ends. Their participation, however, does not always lead to the desired ends, even when those can be determined. Here, I tell the story of one neighborhood in Houston, Texas, which is worth studying for several reasons. First, this neighborhood is interesting because it is so obvious an example of physical space which not only reflects but also renews the social order. That is, the case reveals the interactions between environment and society. Second, the case exposes the intrinsically conservative characteristics of design professions, which themselves reflect and renew the dominant socio-spatial patterns. And third, I relate this story because I have first hand experience in it, as a community advocate and design professional.
