Gentrification and the Hope for Equitable Development
SNAPSHOT: Gentrification is the never-ending story of how the vibrant low-income neighborhood with an enticing arts-scene rapidly transforms into a wealthier, whiter area - pushing out the original inhabitants and transforming the culture. It is a story echoed from Berlin to San Francisco, impacting hundreds of small and mid-sized towns in-between. In all likelihood, gentrification is the story of your hometown or that great new neighborhood you just moved into.
Many of us share a connection to both sides of the story and that is part of what what renders the problem so complex. I am watching my hometown replace affordable Victorian homes with luxury condos, while simultaneously dreaming of moving to Brooklyn or Oakland.
How do we grapple with gentrification? Why would any city discourage new development and investment? Will well-intending millennials inevitably displace established communities of color?
How Gentrification Works
Even though gentrification has weaved itself into my narrative about urban life, it has persisted as a fairly abstract concept to me. I always imagine it as a formula: neighborhood community begins to thrive, a few new shops and restaurants go in, middle-class urbanites follow after the new developments, and all of a sudden, property-values are unattainable for the original residents.
Of course, reality is far more complex than that. Landlords buyout tenants and then conduct no-fault evictions to those who try to stay put. Developers pour money into construction and renovation, inviting trendy industries and young professionals to be the new tenants. People of color find it harder to lease apartments, even when they can afford them. Sometimes prices in these new areas skyrocket even above those of the traditionally affluent parts of town, leaving a whole city out of reach for the displaced residents.
Yet, the problem is not the opening of a new restaurant, the problem is opening a restaurant that people from down the block cannot afford to eat at. Nothing is wrong with an onslaught of enthusiastic newcomers, but problems arise when we forget the people who made the community so vibrant in the first place.
Millennials like myself aren’t interested in stopping the growth and development of our cities. We are interested in cities that develop slowly, organically, and with the input of the residents who have spent their lives shaping its culture.
Gentrification isn’t inevitable.
It is not the curse of all up-and-coming neighborhoods. In a few key instances, areas were revitalized without displacing the residents. Cities can work with developers and residents alike to encourage growth while respecting socio-economic diversity.
Embracing the Slow City
Urbanist Jane Jacobs was conservative in an antiquated sense of the word. She fought fiercely against external actors who wanted to impose their vision upon her beloved New York City neighborhoods, insisting that they be allowed to develop organically over time.
Jacobs championed old and run-down buildings, because without affordable rental spaces, local businesses, newspapers, and art-studios have no chance of becoming a part of the local economic life. She also advocated for measures that enable people to stay-put, ensuring that neighborhoods had the proper resources to become tight-knit communities.
Plans that move too fast often leave communities behind. As D.W.Gibson, author of The Edge Becomes the Center said in a CityLab interview, “The problem is when the development just feels like it’s on steroids, and it just feels like it’s taking over block after block.” Smaller-scale developments can breathe economic life into an area, while also matching the character of the neighborhood.
The Hope of Equitable Development
The irony of gentrification is that the rising costs drive out the artists and businesses that made the neighborhood popular in the first place. This makes gentrification socially unsustainable, since the new residents eventually leave to check out another ‘up and coming’ area.
When we begin to develop with the existing communities in mind, our neighborhoods will remain socially sustainable. These new communities might be mixed-income, something planners continually strive for.
Policy recommendations from Causa Justa and the Alameda County Public Health Department in San Francisco outline steps that municipal authorities can take to protect tenants and respect existing communities.
Some of the more exciting policies include a “No Net Loss” policy that requires all affordable units that are demolished or converted to be replaced in the neighborhood and the promotion of cooperative housing models. The report also encouraged strong and enforceable tenant’s rights protections.
True Engagement
Cities and developers that are serious about revitalizing neighborhoods and creating a rich economic life build with and for the existing community. Engagement must go beyond town-hall meeting. Just like in marketing, you must know your audience in order to reach them.
A low-income community whose residents sometimes work over 40 hours a week probably won’t be able to attend public forums, but they may be able to check in via text message or online. Sometimes the best messengers of your engagement efforts will be local church leaders, social-service providers, and community organizers. Consider offering grants or micro-loans for community gardens and local businesses.
Be creative, build slowly, and invest in the people who make your neighborhoods great.
Are you working to engage the public for your organization or cause? Speak with someone today to learn more about the people you want to engage.
About the Author: Michelle Stockwell is a politics major at Hendrix College. She is still grappling with gentrification and looks forward to hearing from people on all sides of the story.
