Many urban planning classes have sections that are entirely focused on the idea and movement of gentrification. However, gentrification isn't always inevitable and generally can be avoided in order to improve urban areas. Urban revitalization through policy often means going through some kind of gentrification, but it doesn't always have to. Winifred Curran gave a TED Talk based around a movement for "communities of care" and how it shows that gentrification is not inevitable.
Communities of care are communities where individuals have responsibility for their own neighborhood in an urban area. These individuals and communities are responsible for helping the neighborhood revitalize through "care-full" planning, rather than having urban policy dictate what will eventually become gentrified if let alone. Displacement of 'undesirables' is central to gentrification and is usually caused by new upscale stores, condos, new apartment buildings, and charter schools being introduced into the area. However, this does not start because of new stores and charter schools- it starts with urban policy focused around urban revitalization for new stores and buildings in areas that are 'run down.' These 'run down' areas generally do not need urban revitalization that is centered around building new stores and other buildings- these areas need care by the communities and individuals living in them.
By building more "care-full" cities and neighborhoods, competition over space can be reduced. Doing this also helps by measuring care for home owners/renters and other individuals in the community rather than measuring property values and prices. By focusing on the people still in the communities rather than those who want to move in and displace current residents, gentrification can be avoided, and urban revitalization can happen. By having a "community of care," the issue of 'us vs them' will be removed so that neighborhoods can focus on 'us vs the problem.'
Hi Audrey,
ReplyDeleteYour blog post reminded me about a TED talk I watched in my Planning in the City class last semester. The TED talk was about Ron Finley who lives in South Central LA as a "guerrilla gardener". Finley lives in a food desert where most of the population is low-income families. He realized many of the children had not even seen fresh fruits or vegetables so he took it upon himself to create a community garden on the grassy part of the sidewalk between the street and his home. This area is supposed to be taken care of by the city but most of the time it is overgrown and not used. He eventually was issued a citation and a warrant for his arrest which he fought and now he runs the Ron Finley Project and teaches members of the community how to grow and harvest their own food.
I just found your blog post to be very similar to Finley's situation because he was using this plot of unused space yet once something good was coming from it, he was cited with a violation. While it is different than revitalizing a building, I found it very interesting to see what happens once a member of a community takes action on their own to better the community.
Here's the TED talk link in case anyone wants to watch!
https://blog.ted.com/a-visit-to-ron-finleys-la-garden-plus-5-more-ted-talks-about-growing-your-own-food/
Audrey, your post made me think about an article I read that explained that many historically black neighborhoods in New Orleans have become gentrified following Hurricane Katrina. Communities located on lower grounds that had high numbers of lower-income people of color, now have an even higher percentage. However, communities located on higher ground that had a high percentage of people of color have become occupied by higher numbers of higher income white people. The city of New Orleans is trying to address the problem and be more "care-full" by adjusting a housing mandate to comply with requirements laid out in The Fair Housing Act of 1968. This is an attempt to diversify high-income neighborhoods, and send more funds into lower class neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone wants more information they can read the article here https://nola.curbed.com/2016/9/6/12821038/new-orleans-gentrification-report
Hi Audrey,
ReplyDeleteThis is an educative talk by Winifred Curran; through her submission, I have been enlightened on how communities can curtail gentrification in modern times. As an example, I have come to understand how colored people, blacks and low-class people who inhabit communities which are susceptible to gentrification can form alliances based on their mutual values, to challenge invasions and redevelopments by the upper and middle-class nationals. Interestingly, after listening to this talk, I decided to search whether there are some reported success stories with regards to the formation of alliances to combat gentrification and I found one which happened in Chinatown, New York. According to “The Neighborhood Projects” webpage where I had this information, it was revealed that the disapproval of people living in Chinatown put to hold the lease by the New York City Housing Authority to rent the land in Lower Manhattan to construct new markets to combat the community’s budget deficits.
Given this example coupled with Winifred Curran’s thoughts, I believe community alliance is phenomenal to addressing gentrification which sometimes seem inevitable.
Reference
The Neighborhood Projects. Retrieved from
https://macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/beemanneighborhoods/solutions/)