Informal and ubiquitous: Colonias, premature subdivisions and other unplanned suburbs on America’s urban fringe

Along the US border with Mexico there are thousands of communities designated by the federal government as colonias, a name that highlights the large numbers of low-income, Hispanic immigrants that live in these communities. These subdivisions have been studied extensively in recent years, often using insights from the concept of urban informality. This research has highlighted the challenges posed by exploitative land sales practices, poor-quality or non-existent infrastructure and poor-quality housing in these communities. However, similar informal subdivisions exist along the urban fringe elsewhere across the US, though they are not designated as colonias by the federal government and scholars rarely consider their similarities to colonias in the border region. This study uses data on Census Designated Places from the American Community Survey, satellite imagery and county property records to examine the extent and nature of these subdivisions. The results illustrate that informal land development of the sort described here is not restricted only to the border region, to immigrant enclaves or to Hispanic communities. Instead, it is demonstrated that informal subdivisions exist in large numbers across Southern and Western states and, though their numbers are smaller, they are present even in the Midwest and Northeast. Moreover, these subdivisions are home to diverse populations and they provide important benefits such as expanded opportunities of homeownership for minorities and the poor.