Invisible Neighbors: Gentrification Across Cities

i n v i s i b l e

ne igh borS gentrif ic ation acros s cit i es

what is gentrific ation?

Gen•tri•fi•ca•tion: any form of urban renewal that leads to the displacement of the residing community in a neighborhood. Wealthy businesses and residents move in and cause real-estate values to increase. The poorer residents who are unable to pay the increased rent and rising property taxes are forced to leave.

P h ot o by Z or i a h

what is gentrific ation?

Gen•tri•fi•ca•tion: any form of urban renewal that leads to the displacement of the residing community in a neighborhood. Wealthy businesses and residents move in and cause real-estate values to increase. The poorer residents who are unable to pay the increased rent and rising property taxes are forced to leave.

why should i c are?

a hum an dignit y issue The trend of urban renewal was

former residents are becoming

first identified as gentrification

marginalized in the social and

in the 1960s. It was noted that

economic aspect.

many of these “renewal efforts” only benefited developers and

N e ig h b o r ho o d c h a ng e

landlords. The current residents

is o f t e n i n t e r p r e t e d a s

found themselves trapped in

a g r o s s m is c a r r i ag e o f

untenable positions. Many of

s o c i a l j us t ic e .

them could not afford to leave the area voluntarily due to their

The wealthier (usually white)

personal circumstances, but they

newcomers are praised for greatly

also could not afford the raised

“ improving” a neighborhood where

rents imposed by landlords who

poor (usually minority) families

were seeking to cash-in on the

and residents are displaced.

gentrification efforts.

Even though this issue appears Today. the term “gentrification”

merely political, Americans must

is often used negatively. Why?

face the reality that the effects run

Because any benefits from the

deeper than politics. At the heart,

gentrification process (such as

gentrification has become an issue

reduced crime, new investments,

of privilege, race, and most of all,

increased economic activity) is

of human dignity.

outweighed by the reality that

the most gentrified cities Initially, few people are willing to go into a place that forces them to cross class and racial lines. But once a few familiar faces are present, more are willing to move. Word travels that an attractive neighborhood has been “ discovered ” and then the changes begin to occur rapidly. #1: BOSTON The gentrification capital is more than 50% white with former Irish-Catholics displaced long ago. #2: SEAT T LE In 2000, white residents surpassed the number of black residents for the first time in 30 years. #3: NEW YOR K CIT Y Today, there’s incredible movement into places like Harlem and Crown Heights and N YC is the most expensive place to live in the United States. #4: SA N FR A NCISCO The recent tech industr y explosion has drawn unprecedented numbers of yuppies into the bay. #5: WASHINGTON D.C. Neighborhoods such as Anacostia and Columbia Heights are seeing “new parks” and “safer streets.”

F r o m “ T h e s e 7 C i t i e s . . . ” b y Z a k C h e n e y- R i c e

PHOTO: View of I-35 in 1962, the road known as the de-facto boundary that isolated African-American residents.

GENTRIFICATION AT HOME

Aus t in, T e x a s AN EAST SIDE SHIFT For years, the separation between whites and East Austin residents was nearly palpable. Dr. Robert Jensen, a journalism professor at the University of Texas, has seen the change with his own eyes: “When I came here in 1992, my white colleagues quickly told me to not bother looking for a house on the east side of the interstate.

That tells you how deeply woven into the fabric — not only of U.S. society, but also of the city of Austin — white supremacy is.”

Today, downtown nearness and a retreating social stigma about East Austin has led to ver y rapid gentrification there.

“We’re going to see an entirely different landscape, different ever ything happening....”

in the news: the jumpolin pinata demolition AUSTIN, TX — An East Austin

the business to “a house that was

piñata shop that was demolished

infested by roaches,” promises

has become the new center of the

that the site “will get cleaned up,

Austin gentrification debate.

landscaped, and beautified” like the high-end landscaping firm that

For the past eight years, Monica

is currently next door.

and Sergio, owners of Jumpolin, have been selling piñatas and

Yesterday’s community

party supplies from their small

laundromat can very

shop on the east side. One day

well be tomorrow’s high-

when Sergio was driving by, he saw crews tearing down their

end restaurant or cafÉ.

business — with ever y thing still

Businesses that have been serving

inside.

the traditional East Austin commu-

“We didn’t receive any notice,” monica said.

It’s a bad look in a city whose racial issues are real and everpresent when new owners tear down a business that have been selling piñatas to children in a traditionally Latino neighborhood.

And it’s an even worse look when one of those new owners gives an interview in which he implies that Monica and Sergio may have been drug dealers and, likening

nity are now constantly at risk of being replaced by those that are of less interest to longtime residents.

Gentrification’s exclusivity can remain relatively hidden beneath the surface but when property owners go on the record talking about cleaning out “roaches”, the issue is brought out into the open in an extremely painful way and tensions escalate to the point where local Austinites must stop, listen, and face the problem.

the first step toward healing is to admit that we have a problem. #1. TALK WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS One of the best things you can do is to sit down and talk with each other. Without a connected community, every other solution is useless. #2. FIGHT FOR PUBLIC SPACES Fight for and try to save public areas like schools, parks and libraries. Make sure that homeless shelters and soup kitchens don’t get driven out by increasingly higher rent. #3. VOTE IN CITY ELECTIONS Be aware of proposals and policies being passed by your city officials. Use your voice and cast a ballot during local city elections.