Gentrification = damned if you do, damned if you don't.
It's a complicated issue and local governments do need to do more to manage it, but I'm the side of it ultimately being a net gain if a neighborhood "improves." And I can't speak to statistics about Europe since I haven't been here long enough to know it well, but outside of a few areas in the US like San Francisco, it's largely a myth that the majority of less well off residents get pushed out of gentrifying neighborhoods.
Yeah it's a tricky subject and I was surprised just how much discussion there was in Berlin around this - a walking tour I did covered it extensively and on how much of the local area has mixed feelings on it. That's really interesting on the US points, I didn't know that! I agree that ultimately it feels like a gain as long as you're overall improving the neighbourhood - as I say in the piece, I'm a sucker for the sort of places it pops up!
Yeah, I was surprised to learn that about gentrification in the US as well. I was working on one of our own newsletters about the topic and that info came up several times during my research.
And those places where it's happening often have a great, interesting energy. We spent a month in the Exarcheia neighborhood of Athens earlier this year which is totally struggling with this. And it was utterly fascinating.
Gentrification = damned if you do, damned if you don't.
It's a complicated issue and local governments do need to do more to manage it, but I'm the side of it ultimately being a net gain if a neighborhood "improves." And I can't speak to statistics about Europe since I haven't been here long enough to know it well, but outside of a few areas in the US like San Francisco, it's largely a myth that the majority of less well off residents get pushed out of gentrifying neighborhoods.
Yeah it's a tricky subject and I was surprised just how much discussion there was in Berlin around this - a walking tour I did covered it extensively and on how much of the local area has mixed feelings on it. That's really interesting on the US points, I didn't know that! I agree that ultimately it feels like a gain as long as you're overall improving the neighbourhood - as I say in the piece, I'm a sucker for the sort of places it pops up!
Yeah, I was surprised to learn that about gentrification in the US as well. I was working on one of our own newsletters about the topic and that info came up several times during my research.
And those places where it's happening often have a great, interesting energy. We spent a month in the Exarcheia neighborhood of Athens earlier this year which is totally struggling with this. And it was utterly fascinating.
The visibility of the politics of gentrification...so visceral here!! Can’t wait to check it out
Thanks Kate!