Housing and the Grassroots: Using Local and Expert Knowledge to Preserve Affordable Housing

Abstract

Planning practice has had to balance the adversarial relationships necessary to challenge existing and dysfunctional or unjust policies and the collaborations necessary to solve problems and create new policies. However, the complexity of urban planning problems suggests a need for a space in which to build trust, foster collaborative learning, and share data between stakeholders. This article explores the case of the DC Preservation Network, a collaborative process to address the preservation of affordable housing in Washington. It is through this collaboration that disparate stakeholders can navigate complex processes and create avenues to negotiate and advocate outside the group.