Gentrification Pros And Cons

Gentrification has greatly changed the face of Oakland so far in the 21st century. New shops and people are moving in at record numbers, greatly increasing the median income of the city; however, many long-term residents are being evicted due to increasing property values and rent prices. Many are also outraged at the loss of Oakland’s strong cultural roots, but at the same time, in low income areas, crime rates have greatly reduced and academic performance has increased. This begs the question: In what ways has gentrification positively and negatively affected Oakland so far in the 21st century?

In the constantly changing economy of cities, the growth of city housing is oftentimes neglected. In “Cities Mobilize to Help Those Threatened by Gentrification” Timothy Williams recounts how gentrification has evolved over the years. Mentioning how cities have changed in order to appease the younger professionals, Williams shows how the city itself is in jeopardy due to the tax increases. Slowly loosing their faithful residents as well as historic culture cities face a big deal. Williams gives quotes from faithful residents, “…long time homeowners are victims of the success story”, (Williams 346). In “Cities Mobilize to Help Those Threatened by Gentrification”, Williams uses his credible quotes and modern statistics to generate the reader’s emotions, with desire to change how city officials go about gentrification in culturally infused cities.

“I took a trip to Oakland, California and fell in love with the area. We stayed at an Air B&B for the three days of our stay and the house was absolutely beautiful, it looked like my dream home. Despite all the glitz and glamour around us we noticed a large amount of homelessness compared to Columbus. We found out that this property is not someone’s home but a house used strictly as an Air B&B. When you hear something like that and see the amount of homelessness it makes you wonder how many of these homes are strictly for show? So after researching I found out, the reason for the rampant homelessness can be attributed to large increases in rent. Even worse, the cause for the increase is due to Silicon Valley” (Kasongo, 2017). Unfortunately, rent increasing virtually overnight is the reality of many low-income families. This situation is called gentrification and is felt throughout the world, from the Midwest, East coast or even Western Europe, no region is immune to this process. Gentrification in the Midwest is extensive and wide causing the displacement of many low-income minority residents which can lead to even bigger issues.

A study by The Urban Institute describes gentrification as “a process whereby higher-income households move into low income neighborhoods, escalating the area’s property values to the point that displacement occurs.” Gentrification generally takes place in deteriorating urban or rural areas. The purpose of gentrification is to take struggling neighborhoods and stabilize them by increasing property value. Naturally the system isn’t perfect, as it has the side effect of displacement, which can cause some people to have to move to a different location, but overall gentrification is much more beneficial than destructive on a large scale. All neighborhoods have to be improved eventually. Gentrification is simply the most effective way of doing it. Although there are some negatives associated with Gentrification, in the long run it succeeds in creating a better place for people to live, and the pros far outweigh the cons.

Imagine this. New age travelers make their way into your neighborhood. The activity starts small. A recycling bin here a coffee shop there, then suddenly and without warning your neighborhood explodes into a frenzy of improved safety, restored homes, and higher rents (John Buntin). There must be a name for this strange and unusual phenomenon. Gentrification! Many people detail gentrification as though it's a horror film, but is it really that bad? While some people may hate it they sure do love to make fun of it, and with the recent rise in comedic takes on this buzz word, Gentrification has had a bigger platform than ever. Popular shows such as shameless, Kimmy Schmidt, and even Sesame street all have something to say. So what is Gentrification, Where did it come from, and should we the people be for or against it.

When cities begin their journey of being gentrified, many locals become displaced. Displacement is when locals are uprooted from their homes, due to outside factors, and forced to move elsewhere. According to the Urban Displacement Project conducted by U.C. Berkeley, “Gentrification results from both flows of capital and people. The extent to which gentrification is linked to racial transition differs across neighborhood contexts... Displacement takes many different forms—direct and indirect, physical or economic, and exclusionary—and may result from either investment or disinvestment” (U.C. Berkeley). Many people are coming into San Francisco’s Bay Area because of how diverse each element is. However, according to Census numbers, between 1990 and 2010, 35.7% of San Francisco’s black population dwindled (Bliss). 35.7% of the black community within San Francisco suffered from displacement. An additional 53% of low-income households in the Bay Area are at risk for displacement and gentrification (U.C. Berkeley). This has definitely left a dent within the diversity reputation held up by the Bay Area. When such a strong large part of people leave, The City will experience a shift in culture and community. Whether, it is the real estate, the food, the different cultures, the Bay Area has always been known for being different. Perhaps, this is why so many outsiders are coming in and buying up every piece of land they can. Whether their intentions were to purchase land and

Despite many Latino’s being entrepreneurs and owning manufacturing companies, construction firms, restaurants, and real estate. Latino communities still seem to be suffering because of the lack of wealth generation. Many Hispanics have called Humboldt Park home for many years but recently that has been changing over the years. Humboldt Park used to be a primarily Hispanic neighborhood and because of the lack of wealth generation along with other factors the neighborhood has been going through gentrification. Gentrification is the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district which results in an increase in rents and property values, and changes in the district's character and culture. The term is often used negatively, suggesting

People of the higher socioeconomic status believe they are helping improve the quality of life for lower class residents however that does not always seem to be accurate. Gentrification does have positive effects however researchers believe the negatives outweigh the positives. One argument against gentrification is the possibility it causes displacement. As the housing market is increasing drastically, residents who are not able to afford their new living costs are forced to move from the neighborhoods. Displacement does not apply to every household, displacement is typically seen among renters, as opposed to homeowners.

Viewing the complex matter of gentrification succinctly, it helps to uncover how multifaceted it is; in that gentrification involves the oppression, marginalization, displacement of vulnerable populations, particularly, the poor, and the black who are often already negatively impacted by the effects of classism, and racism. Gentrification threatens to erode the communities and livelihood maintained by these set of people because their displacement becomes a precondition for the total transformation of the area.

Gentrification systematically displaces the most vulnerable population from their resident communities. It is not matter of relocation for the vulnerable population, but in most instances, the exposure to a more exacerbated disparaging community and shelter source, homelessness and/or, health and behavioral issues. The costs of gentrification is that it displaces the poor and unstable along with small and unique businesses located in the community and replaces them with the wealthy.

Gentrification can be defined as the shift from independent businesses to high end franchises, resulting in increase in property value, displacing long term community members and businesses, and changing the social class of the neighborhood. It is a form of structural violence as it denies some groups basic needs such as affordable housing and food security. Root causes of gentrification are family structure, job growth, lack of housing, traffic congestion, public sector policies, and racism.1 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists gentrification as a public health issue because where one lives plays a role in their health.1 It can affect one’ physical and mental health and whether the effects are entirely positive or negative is debatable. Some negative effects of gentrification include displacement, loss of affordable housing, homelessness, and loss of social diversity. Some positive effects include increase of property value, new businesses, and decrease in crime rates.

After reading this article, I do believe that Gentrification is a double-edged sword. It made me think of the positives and negatives that were stated. Yes, it does provide new amenities in the area such as new jobs, improvement in schools, and lower crime rates however I feel like it contradicts itself because it causes conflicts with lower income families and that is where we get the term from “displaced citizens.” I feel like those who do encourage gentrification, they don’t even take the time to think of how it affects others negatively. I believe because maybe they may be selfish, most likely they only think about how these new amenities can be beneficial for themselves. Although, they wouldn't take the time to see how it affects our lives

These are some of the alternative solution to posed gentrification at the city of Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles. So, have in mind that gentrification is controversial process. It’s clear enough that it only affect the urban development of the cities. But the problem of gentrification needs to be research more for feather results.

Nonetheless, technology advances in gentrification can also have a negative side effect on the population. Gentrification brought a negative impact upon San Francisco in the past years. The side effects lead countless of citizens to

Since the early 2000s, gentrification accelerated in various New York City neighborhoods. Data shown that about 29.8 percent of New York City has been affected by gentrification in low-income communities (Governing Data 1). This is over a 20 percent increased from the previous decade in New York City alone. Gentrification is a term used to describe displacement or renewal in urban neighborhoods as a result of increasing property values and rent prices. Gentrification has existed since the 1960s but has rapidly increased since then . Gentrification has now become a common and global controversial topic in many low-income neighborhood. Although, gentrification hasn’t always been bad from increasing job opportunities to lowering crime rates. Gentrification has impacted and transformed underprivileged districts in New York City. However, at the advantage of who ? Thus, gentrification has only increased average rates of poverty and infused neighborhoods with “white privilege”.