Both Sides of the Line Housing policy, economic justice, and - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Both Sides of the Line Housing policy, economic justice, and regionalism in the Upper Valley GARRETT DASH NELSON Dartmouth College Photographic Files 183055

Two basic geographic maxims running throughout:

Two basic geographic maxims running throughout: Interdependence

Two basic geographic maxims running throughout: Interdependence Di ff erentiation

Key question: What happens when the geographic scope of a problem and geographic scope of the solution don’t match?

Key question: What happens when the geographic scope of a problem and geographic scope of the solution don’t match? Regional housing policy is an example of this dilemma.

Geographic unit #1: The New England town (or city)

Geographic unit #1: The New England town (or city) Borders laid out by distant grantors with little geographic knowledge of the area

Geographic unit #1: The New England town (or city) Borders laid out by distant grantors with little geographic knowledge of the area Continued relevance of the town as both a political entity and a “community” (real and imagined)

Six municipalities account for almost a third of the region’s total housing units.

Six municipalities account for almost a third of the region’s total housing units.

Six municipalities account for almost a third of the region’s total housing units. 32 municipalities had no rental vacancies at survey time

Total households <25k income

Total Total households households <25k income >200k income

Number of needy households <50k per wealthy households >200k

120 Number of needy Ratio of needy to wealthy households households <50k per 90 wealthy households >200k 60 30 0 0 2 4 6 8 Distance from core

120 Number of needy Ratio of needy to wealthy households households <50k per 90 wealthy households >200k 60 30 0 0 2 4 6 8 Distance from core These three towns are the only ones that have more wealthy than needy households

120 Number of needy Ratio of needy to wealthy households households <50k per 90 wealthy households >200k 60 30 0 0 2 4 6 8 Distance from core These three towns are the only ones that have more wealthy than needy households The housing problem—as well as potential solutions—is very di ff erent depending where in the region you look

Geographic unit #2: The region

Geographic unit #2: The region The “Upper Valley” as de fi ned by … Vital Communities Service Area Ryegate Bath V E R M O N T Landa fg Topsham Newbury Haverhill Washington Benton Corinth Bradford Chelsea Piermont Vershire Warren West Fairlee Randolph Fairlee Tunbridge Orford Stra fg ord Wentworth Bethel Thetford Royalton Lyme Sharon Dorchester Norwich Barnard Hanover Pomfret Canaan Hartford Orange Lebanon Bridgewater En fj eld Woodstock Grafton Hartland Plain fj eld Grantham Reading Spring fj eld West Windsor Windsor Cornish Wilmot Croydon New London Cavendish Sunapee Weathers fj eld Claremont Newport Baltimore Newbury Unity Spring fj eld Chester Goshen VT Charlestown Lempster Acworth Rockingham Grafton Langdon NH N E W H A M P S H I R E Westminster Walpole 0 10 Miles Vital Communities

Geographic unit #2: The region The “Upper Valley” as de fi ned by … Vital Communities Service Area Ryegate Bath V E R M O N T Landa fg Topsham Newbury Haverhill Washington Benton Corinth Bradford Chelsea Piermont Vershire Warren West Fairlee Randolph Fairlee Tunbridge Orford Stra fg ord Wentworth Bethel Thetford Royalton Lyme Sharon Dorchester Norwich Barnard Hanover Pomfret Canaan Hartford Orange Lebanon Bridgewater En fj eld Woodstock Grafton Hartland Plain fj eld Grantham Reading Spring fj eld West Windsor Windsor Cornish Wilmot Croydon New London Cavendish Sunapee Weathers fj eld Claremont Newport Baltimore Newbury Unity Spring fj eld Chester Goshen VT Charlestown Lempster Acworth Rockingham Grafton Langdon NH N E W H A M P S H I R E Westminster Walpole 0 10 Miles Vital Communities Yankee Magazine

Geographic unit #2: The region The “Upper Valley” as de fi ned by … Vital Communities Service Area Ryegate Bath V E R M O N T Landa fg Topsham Newbury Haverhill Washington Benton Corinth Bradford Chelsea Piermont Vershire Warren West Fairlee Randolph Fairlee Tunbridge Orford Stra fg ord Wentworth Bethel Thetford Royalton Lyme Sharon Dorchester Norwich Barnard Hanover Pomfret Canaan Hartford Orange Lebanon Bridgewater En fj eld Woodstock Grafton Hartland Plain fj eld Grantham Reading Spring fj eld West Windsor Windsor Cornish Wilmot Croydon New London Cavendish Sunapee Weathers fj eld Claremont Newport Baltimore Newbury Unity Spring fj eld Chester Goshen VT Charlestown Lempster Acworth Rockingham Grafton Langdon NH N E W H A M P S H I R E Westminster Walpole 0 10 Miles Vital Communities Yankee Magazine Map survey participants

Commutes beginning and ending in the Upper Valley

Commutes beginning and ending in Commutes beginning or ending in the Upper Valley the Upper Valley

What if we ask a computer to draw the borders?

All jobs (2015) Labeled towns have 500 or more jobs >3333 1251–3333 <1251

All jobs (2015) Labeled towns have 500 or more jobs >3333 1251–3333 <1251 44% of the region’s jobs are in these 3 municipalities

All jobs (2015) Rental vacancies Labeled towns have 500 or more jobs Labeled towns have 25 or more vacancies >3333 1251–3333 <1251 44% of the region’s jobs are in these 3 municipalities

Housing units per job Labeled towns have more jobs than housing units

Shifting geographies of “here”


 Shifting geographies of “here” Watershed topography, shared history, social/ business interactions, family connections… These parts of the towns I've included have been involved with each other through the 44.5yrs my family's lived here. Innate familiarity -- anything beyond this boundary is a place where I'd have no immediate reference point and would feel like a 'stranger' -- inside the boundary I've biked, hiked, visited friends, had adventures -- mundane or otherwise … Gut feeling. historically the fi rst and second dresden compact encompassed these area in colonial days creating a bioregion rather than a political entity . It felt like it should be towns that would come to Lebanon/Hanover/Hartford for their needs--and not Plymouth or Claremont. And excluding some of the Vermont towns because it just feels like they have their own culture away from the river.


 Shifting geographies of “here” Watershed topography, shared history, social/ business interactions, family connections… These parts of the towns I've included have been involved with each other through the 44.5yrs my family's lived here. Innate familiarity -- anything beyond this boundary is a place where I'd have no immediate reference point and would feel like a 'stranger' -- inside the boundary I've biked, hiked, visited friends, had adventures -- mundane or otherwise … Gut feeling. historically the fi rst and second dresden compact encompassed these area in colonial days creating a bioregion rather than a political entity . It felt like it should be towns that would come to Lebanon/Hanover/Hartford for their needs--and not Plymouth or Claremont. And excluding some of the Vermont towns because it just feels like they have their own culture away from the river.