Gentrification In Chicago

‘In the last 40 years the pattern of murders in Chicago has changed.’

Chicago is a city located in Northern Eastern Illinois, USA with a population of approximately 2.7 million people including a range of ethnic groups such as African-Americans, Puerto Ricans and Bosnians.In 2013 there had been an average of 512 homicides per year in Chicago. The spatial pattern of homicides are predominantly concentrated in the Western and Southern areas of Chicago.

Location is a significant factor that contributes to where the pattern of homicides occur in Chicago. This is because overtime particular areas have been developed due to gentrification in city areas including the Northern and Central sides, these changes occur due to influx of wealth. This leaves the Southern and Western sides to deteriorate as the houses and the areas aren’t well looked after due to affluent people leaving it that way causing a ‘slum-like lifestyle’ and low rent for those with low income. Therefore, a higher pattern of homicides in the Southern and Western sides of Chicago occur because those in lower classes tend to resort to violence and crime.

According to the graph in the resource booklet ‘Gentrification in Chicago 2000’ there’s a majority of negative gentrification shaded from -1 to -6 and -7 to -12 in the South and West areas.

The rest show gentrification mainly in the Northern and Central areas as most wealthy people live in these areas and Robert Taylor homes were built which caused segregation of the African-American population. Negative gentrification areas may be associated with poverty, overcrowding and/or a black

community.

A high population of African-Americans live in ‘slum-like’ suburbs including West pullman, Bridge Port and Armour square in the South side where there’s a high majority of blue collar residents living there. On the blogs channel website ‘Homicide type, by race, 1980-2008’ out of white, black or other, black had the highest percentage of 52.5% and white 43.5%.With a low of 13% African-Americans living in Chicago, this table shows this race commit the most homicides.

‘City of Chicago community areas 1970’ in the resource booklet reveal 90% of blacks in Chicago are clustered in the south side with a majority of whites living in most of the areas. Looking at ‘City of Chicago community areas 2001’ the location of homicide in Chicago has changed overtime because over 90% of blacks have not only stayed in the South side, but have moved to the West side as well in 2001.

In 1981 areas in Chicago were divided into white, black and revitalising areas. The north areas involved of tearing down house projects which disrupted gang areas. Those who were poor and in gangs had to relocate to poorer suburbs, as to why 90% of blacks live in the Southern and Western sides. In comparison to New York City, in 2015 there were 161 homicides with a rate of 2.4 per 100,000.In Chicago there were 203 in 2015 with a homicide rate of 10.4 per 100,000 people. This is because African-Americans in Chicago may be less educated, poorer, and infested with street gangs.

In conclusion, in the last 40 years the pattern of murders have changed spatially in Chicago but it’s concentrated in the Southern and Western areas in suburbs such as Austin, West town, Ashburn and West Pullman. This is due to the location of the area as African-Americans and gangs are typically located in slum-like areas with low rent. The location has changed overtime due to the whites moving towards the Northern and Central sides of Chicago causing segregation of races.