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What is the impact of gentrification
What is the impact of gentrification
What is the impact of gentrification
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Lance Freeman tackles the issue of gentrification from the perspectives of residents in the gentrified neighborhood. He criticizes the literature for overlooking the experiences of the victims of gentrification. The author argues that people’s conceptions on the issue are somewhat misinformed in that most people consider it as completely deplorable, whereas in reality, it benefits the community by promoting businesses, different types of stores, and cleaner streets. These benefits are even acknowledged by many residents in the gentrified neighborhood. However, the author admits that gentrification indeed does harm. Although gentrification does not equate to displacement per se, it serves to benefit primarily homeowners and harm the poor. Additionally, …show more content…
Prior to this, I had never heard of any benefit of gentrification; rather, I had the typical preconceived notion that Freeman discusses: gentrification is a demonic force that inflicts suffering in all poor people in a gentrified neighborhood. However, reading excerpts from “There Goes the ‘Hood” encourages me to rethink my position. One of my questions from the reading pertains to the “race” part of the author’s argument. Although Clinton Hill and Harlem are both predominantly comprised of African Americans, I wonder how low-income white residents feel about gentrification. I am curious about this because a friend of mine, a white Irish, was displaced from her home in Sunnyside, Queens last summer because of increasing rent. From this experience, I think that seeing low-income whites’ outlooks on white gentry would be interesting. Furthermore, I question the validity of the author’s selection on some of the participants for his interview, particularly those whom he recruited in a conference on gentrification (page 12). One could imagine that community members who attend such a conference would hold strong opinions about gentrification. However, would not this contradict his earlier point that “the most active and vocal residents are not necessarily representative of the entire neighborhood and are likely different” (page 7) and thus undermining the integrity of some of his
There has been a tremendous change in East Harlem between class warfare and gentrification. East Harlem is one more economic factor to the city’s wealth per capita since the attack of September 11, 2000. It is Manhattan’s last remaining development and it is on the agenda of the tax revenue of our government. East Harlem has become a profit driven capitalism. Gentrification enforces capitalism, it does not separate people, it does not go against race, poor and the working class, it wages war on the poor and the working-class.
Naked City adequately captures the change in cities due to gentrification. Zukin illustrates the cultural uniqueness of iconic New York neighborhoods. Her examination of these neighborhoods in the past and how they are today gives incite on how they might look in the future if society continues on the path that it is on. Neighborhoods have been renovated; several facades have been modernized, but the area still has an old-fashioned feel (106). Zukin proves that in society today we strive to modernize cities yet we still try to maintain the authentic feel. Reading this book my knowledge on gentrification and how it has affect communities have broadened. Zukin’s reference to movies and music artists made me realize that people might determine certain neighborhoods as a desirable place to live based on how they are depicted in movies or books. I also learned it’s important to consider the trends that are going on around the world. Shops reflect the “class world” that dominates the East Village now: both elegant and derelict, hippie and yuppie, distinctive and diverse (106). The current hipster trend can be a factor of this reflection of East Village. Zukin understands that there are many factors that result in gentrification of an area. It is crucial to look at the tastes ad lifestyles of the upper middle class, for these dominate the cultural representations of cities today (223). Zukin provides a brief history of different New
The downgrading of African Americans to certain neighborhoods continues today. The phrase of a not interested neighborhood followed by a shift in the urban community and disturbance of the minority has made it hard for African Americans to launch themselves, have fairness, and try to break out into a housing neighborhood. If they have a reason to relocate, Caucasians who support open housing laws, but become uncomfortable and relocate if they are contact with a rise of the African American population in their own neighborhood most likely, settle the neighborhoods they have transfer. This motion creates a tremendously increase of an African American neighborhood, and then shift in the urban community begins an alternative. All of these slight prejudiced procedures leave a metropolitan African American population with few options. It forces them to remain in non-advanced neighborhoods with rising crime, gang activity, and...
After developing the background behind gentrification and the history of the two neighborhoods, Freeman dives into the lives of the residents living in these neighborhoods within the next two sections of the text. From these sections, Freeman develops the following concepts: the benefit of improved amenities, the fear of displacement, the presence of whites, the original resident’s hostility against whites, and the neighborhood effect. These concepts help explain the issues behind gentrification and provide rationale for his proposal to minimize the detrimental effects of gentrification while keeping its benefits.
There are people in the neighborhoods that can enjoy the neighborhood enhancements because they know they can survive the inflation of their rent. There are people that are oblivious to the fact that their rent will increase a significant amount, because they are excited that there will be shiny new locations arriving around their area. Once their landlord explains to them that their rent will increase – in New York it could be up to fifty percent – they will be struck with the sad reality of gentrification. Gentrification is similar to other social issues, primarily in the fact that one does not think about the issue until it affects them. To me, it is crucial to approach with Immanuel Kant’s theory in mind. It is important to view the overall morality of an issue. “Is it necessary?” is a question I ask myself when addressing this issue. Kant believes one should not use another for self-benefit, and with gentrification one group of men or women are using a group of families for their own
In the United States the hopes and dreams of living a comfortable life is desired. Living comfortably for instance owning or renting a home or apartment that just feels like home. This can be a reality but it depends on where one lives. In the United States people can be evicted or bought out of their home. This is in attempts to modernize an area of the community. Evictions and warnings are issued and it is inevitable to move from a place that one has once called home. Gentrification can be described from a quote in the film Boyz N the Hood. In the film the character Furious Styles (1991) states, “Gentrification Is what happens when property value of a certain area is brought down, they bring the property value down. They can buy the land cheaper. Then they move the people out, raise the value and sell it at a profit.” Gentrification can be proposed as a positive for the community but there can be repercussions. Those who are told and even forced to move out are left to struggle. While wealthy tenants move in, former tenants are left to find a place to stay. The issue of gentrification can be viewed differently from a humanitarian and business standpoint. Gentrification is coming into fruition in places nearby. It is important to know who wins and who loses in the process of
Urban development influences the city to meet the demands of the more affluent individuals. The economy boosts, and the entire culture of the city is transformed. Money talks, and since the wealthy class moves in the are able to afford luxuries that the city must provide and they have low tolerance on funds for the homeless population and low-income individuals. “Housing market dynamics appear to play a critical role in producing gentrification, though these dynamics vary from location to location... On a more conceptual level, gentrification may reflect that previously unrecognized value in a neighborhood—quality housing stock, accessibility and proximity to downtown and/or other attractive neighborhoods—is now being recognized.” Gentrification displaces the black and brown communities and renew that city into a place that includes much more affluent people. This is unjust for the poor people because they are not given the chance to go against the forced displacement and they just cannot afford to do
Gentrification is the keystone for the progression of the basic standards of living in urban environments. A prerequisite for the advancement of urban areas is an improvement of housing, dining, and general social services. One of the most revered and illustrious examples of gentrification in an urban setting is New York City. New York City’s gentrification projects are seen as a model for gentrification for not only America, but also the rest of the world. Gentrification in an urban setting is much more complex and has deeper ramifications than seen at face value. With changes in housing, modifications to the quality of life in the surrounding area must be considered as well. Constant lifestyle changes in a community can push out life-time
The initial hypothesis states that gentrification is a process lead by middle to high-income people, generally represented under the tags of young families with managerial jobs, real estate investment firms, or the rise of the cognitive-cultural entrepreneur class (Scott, 2008). It starts with the partial integration of these groups in lower- income inner-city neighbourhoods. The settlement of these higher income classes, attracted to live in these urban enclaves, triggers the shift of local communities’ social structures. Hence, as a result of a constant rise of the prices that affect the people’s rents and the commercial services in the surroundings, the original residents are forced to leave their own homes.
In contrast to the negatives of gentrification, some people view gentrification as a the only effective way to “revitalize” low-income urban communities. In the article, “Gentrification: A Positive Good For Communities” Turman situates the piece around the opinion that gentrification is not as awful as the negative connotation surrounding it. Furthermore, he attempts to dispel the negative aspects of gentrification by pointing out how some of them are nonexistent. To accomplish this, Turman exemplifies how gentrification could positively impact neighborhoods like Third Ward (a ‘dangerous’ neighborhood in Houston, Texas).Throughout the article, Turman provides copious examples of how gentrification can positively change urban communities, expressing that “gentrification can produce desirable effects upon a community such as a reduced crime rate, investment in the infrastructure of an area and increased economic activity in neighborhoods which gentrify”. Furthermore, he opportunistically uses the Third Ward as an example, which he describes as “the 15th most dangerous neighborhood in the country” and “synonymous with crime”, as an example of an area that could “need the change that gentrification provides”. Consequently, he argues with
Moses Paul’s article concentrates on the effect of gentrification on low-income urban communities in America. He establishes the point that the negative results ___of it on the residents who have been their for extended periods far outweighs the positive that would “revitalize ” the communities involved. Paul states that “in the case in cities across the country, gentrification comes at the price of displacing poorer people who have stuck it out through the high-crime years” and admits that gentrification’s façade is inviting and and marveling “but at what cost to others?”. Ultimately probing for a solution, Paul makes the claim that the challenge resides in making “the poor
This issue is also impacted by city officials, who wield considerable power in urban development, and live in fear of “capital flight” (Robinson 484, 506). Consequently, San Francisco’s officials are catering to the business community. This expansion can be viewed as advancing the economic structure of the city, or as a detriment to the most marginalized of its inhabitants. Such a dilemma is evident in the film, Boom! The Sound of Eviction, where one sees Mayor Ed Lee celebrating San Francisco’s tech boom and gentrification, but basically ignoring the effects of gentrification on low income families displaced from their homes. These injustices are also evident in Nancy Raquel Mirabal’s histories of the San Francisco Latino communities, which gives first-hand accounts of the gentrification and its effects on their lives. While these examples of economically advantaged hipsters displacing lower income minorities are extremely troubling, this trend could possibly be mitigated by San Francisco’s long history of social activism, coupled with economic commitments from the city and industries. For example, “six companies have signed community benefit agreements, or CBAs, outlining their planned volunteers, investing and philanthropic activities. [These projects] include housing advocacy, education for kids, working with groups such as the Boys and Girls Club and SF Food Bank and $3 million in grants to nonprofits over the next four years” (Levy). This begets the question, will the gentrification of the Tenderloin be able to attract businesses and hipsters, while being able to help the disadvantaged residents of the area? University of San Francisco Professor John Stehlin, believes that gentrification can indeed
As I fell, my stomach lurched in a thrilling, heart pounding way. My brain was screaming, demanding that I grab onto something, anything to slow my fall. My body, however, knew exactly what to do.
Though gentrification can be positively perceived as an act to revitalize otherwise distressed neighbourhoods, it is not intended to benefit existing citizens. Due to an increase in employment, higher revenue generated, perceived lower crime rates, and intensification of density, gentrification is seen as beneficial to cities, however it can also displace original residents, lower-income jobs, and perpetuate a fragmentation of community and affordable housing. Gentrification can be avoided through rent control, as well as property tax rebates, limiting condo conversions, as well as inclusionary
Gentrification is a common issue in urbanized nations around the world. The presences of gentrification began to become common in the United States around the mid 1970s. There are many factors that affect the process of gentrification, and there are numerous social and economic consequences because of it. Gentrification can be seen as a double-edged sword, as it sets off a reaction of both positive and negative effects. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, gentrification is the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents. Gentrification is a common and controversial topic in urban planning. Gentrification is typically the