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I understand all the many reasons why gentrification is bad for communities: long time residents get pushed out, property taxes go up, the neighborhood loses character, etc.
However, I also understand why many middle-class Americans are opting to move back into the city. Cars are stressful and expensive; sprawling suburbs lack character; walkable neighborhoods make exercise easier; and it's easier to feel like you're apart of a community when you see your neighbors on a regular basis.
Does anyone know of any successful examples of "ethical" gentrification?
I can think of a few formerly industrial districts that turned commercial/residential like West Loop, Chicago and West Bottoms, Kansas City. I'd say this is ethical gentrification, but nobody was living in these neighborhoods before they became trendy. Highland in Denver and NuLu in Louisville may fall into this category too.
But are there any examples in which new wealthier residents were able to integrate into an existing residential neighborhood without pushing out the existing communities?
Last edited by Dawn.Davenport; 11-10-2015 at 11:37 AM..
All gentrification is, by definition, ethical. Gentrification is the improvement/upgrading of a neighborhood.
Gentrification doesn't "push out" existing communities. In fact it reduces outward flight, because people prefer to stay in an improving area then leave a declining area.
gentrification is a way for primarily white liberals to rid themselves of blacks and poor people without throwing on the sheets in the middle of the night and breaking out the torches, genteel racism is what it is usually called.
There is nothing ethical about gentrification at all but white people have figured out how good city living is and how sterile the suburbs are and want back in the cities, especially millennials, the question is what caused white flight in the first place ?
All gentrification is, by definition, ethical. Gentrification is the improvement/upgrading of a neighborhood.
Gentrification doesn't "push out" existing communities. In fact it reduces outward flight, because people prefer to stay in an improving area then leave a declining area.
That's not always true, plenty of neighborhoods in large cities that are experiencing gentrification were not experiencing outward flight of residents overall before gentrification started to occur.
My response is a little harsh, not everyone who plays a part in gentrifying a neighborhood intended that to happen, alot of time artists, bohemians students and young people find a cool neighborhood that is walkable and might have low rents and start moving there. Pretty soon you have a creative class, shops, clubs and coffeehouses and tech companies etc locating there and developeras start take notice and rents start going up. I saw it happen in the neighborhood in germany I lived in and I see it here in DC and places I am looking at relocating like downtown raleigh, austin, tampa, etc.
The difference in america is there is usually a race component to it, alot of times urban black families live in downtown neighborhoods that are in absolutely amazing locations. White flight did alot of damage to american cities
Where I live, developers are buying up small patches of land and building semi-expensive townhomes. The new homes are attracting shops/restaurants, which is also a good thing. I'm hoping that in 5 years, the area surrounding my neighborhood is completely different. The shops that are under construction are affordable enough even for the lower income residents who are nearby, although to be honest, I was hoping for high-end stores and restaurants.
Populations change. In the 1800's many Chicago neighborhoods were very white with certain groups as they were initially constructed.
In the 1960's through the 1980's the initial groups left and other groups moved in, many of them poorer than the people they were replacing.
From the 1990's through today many of those 2nd round of people are now leaving and being replaced by a 3rd round of people, who happen to be more wealthy on average.
It's just natural change. Neighborhoods change all the time. There's nothing wrong with gentrification.
It's all relative. Every run-down still-standing housing project was once considered "gentrification" of terrible slum housing, done in the name of "urban renewal." Were some poor people displaced? Yes, because the slums were a mix of SFH and apartments, and because some people didn't want to live in the projects.
Populations change. In the 1800's many Chicago neighborhoods were very white with certain groups as they were initially constructed.
In the 1960's through the 1980's the initial groups left and other groups moved in, many of them poorer than the people they were replacing.
From the 1990's through today many of those 2nd round of people are now leaving and being replaced by a 3rd round of people, who happen to be more wealthy on average.
It's just natural change. Neighborhoods change all the time. There's nothing wrong with gentrification.
Yes, neighborhoods do inevitably change, but sometimes developers do things that are, while legal, perhaps a bit unethical.
For example, when I moved to Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood about ten years ago, the neighborhood was still mostly made up of middle-aged gay men and some lesbians. Over the years, institutional establishments like Clarks on Clark, T's, and Stargaze go out of business. Places that serve brunch move in, and the Dyke March packs up. Now when I visit Andersonville, it seems like neighborhood is mostly geared toward 30-something straights with babies. It used to be "where gay men go to die," and now it's like a trendier Roscoe Village. While I miss the old Andersonville, I don't see anything wrong or unethical in how it's changed; it's the normal evolution of a neighborhood.
However, I also hear stories about big developers buying up apartment complexes in other Chicago neighborhoods like Pilsner, giving the residents the boot, and then converting the building into high-end rentals that the original tenants could never afford. Now, families who have been in Pilsen for generations, are now uprooted and having to re-establish themselves elsewhere. While I'm not sure if this type of development should or shouldn't be regulated by the city--I have mixed feelings--it does go against my personal ethics. I'd never work for such a company or live in their rentals.
I guess, I'm just interested in hearing examples of ways neighborhoods have changed for the better without hurting anyone negatively, and I guess I'd be interested in thinking about what other cities could learn about those good examples.
In Baltimore, the neighborhood that's gentrifying the quickest is Hampden, on the northwest side of town. The long-time residents of the neighborhood are blue-collar whites who moved to Baltimore from Appalachia in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Because it's one of the very few predominately white parts of Baltimore, it's the only place where suburban whites looking for an urban experience feel safe and comfortable. And because of their onslaught, Hampden's unique character is evaporating, and the residents are getting pushed out. If I were to move to Hampden--say, I found my dream house--what ethical obligations would I have to the long-time residents?
Last edited by Dawn.Davenport; 11-10-2015 at 06:09 PM..
All the new building in Midtown Detroit is a positive example, which can only improve nearby neighborhoods. It also adds a desperately-needed tax base to the city.
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If I were to move to Hampden--say, I found my dream house--what ethical obligations would I have to the long-time residents?
Not calling the cops on every annoyance (perceived or otherwise)? That's one complaint I hear a lot.
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