Robert Montgomerie: Is Gentrification Really So Great?
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Other/miscellaneous-banners/i-GtCm94q/0/O/gentrificationbanner.jpg)
On MetroJacksonville.com recently Stephen Dare posed a very important question, "Is it really 'historic preservation' if the only thing you want to preserve are the wealthy old districts for wealthy new residents?" I was glad to see that someone asked that question as I've often wondered that myself over the years and especially after seeing all of the changes the Riverside area has gone through since the mid-nineties.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-sep-robert-montgomerie-is-gentrification-really-so-great
Good article! Money is a primary driver of things -- follow the money.
I have been reading more about historic neighborhood preservation and came across this article. It does a nice job uncovering some of the assumptions made back in the 20s and 30s that still form the basis of urban planning decisions made today; many are outright racist.
It reads like a playbook for the City today. I don't necessarily blame them, the entire system was designed around those same assumptions. Add to that apathy, lack of funding, lack of education...
Planned Abandonment: The Neighborhood Life-Cycle Theory and National Urban Policy
http://www.knowledgeplex.org/kp/text_document_summary/scholarly_article/relfiles/hpd_1101_metzger.pdf (http://www.knowledgeplex.org/kp/text_document_summary/scholarly_article/relfiles/hpd_1101_metzger.pdf)
Well Gentrification sure beats what's downtown today, but it is cute that y'all rally for foodtrucks, sanctioned graffiti and a monorail to nowhere. So let's see a nice dinner at a restaurant that probably won't get shot up or scarfing a burrito next to a crack head? Yep Gentrification is what it is cracked up to be - ask Ted Carter.
Quote from: Max on September 12, 2013, 09:04:31 AM
Well Gentrification sure beats what's downtown today, but it is cute that y'all rally for foodtrucks, sanctioned graffiti and a monorail to nowhere. So let's see a nice dinner at a restaurant that probably won't get shot up or scarfing a burrito next to a crack head? Yep Gentrification is what it is cracked up to be - ask Ted Carter.
For some reason, I always imagine that after typing these crazy troll rants, Max: voraciously scarfs down 2 Wendy's hamburgers with KFC gravy poured on top, puts on some lipstick and high heels, closes the blinds to his Southside apartment, turns up his Miley Cyrus mixtape, and twerks the night away.
It's just a hunch, but I might be on to something.
Every time my wife and I attend an event in Springfield, we get asked "What are you doing here"? We have many friends that live there and get invited often but someone will ask the question every time. Gentrification at work.
My question is why can't neighborhood revitalization include plans to address the harm slumlords and developers often do in areas. It always seems like scale of helpfulness is always tipped in favor of the new arrivals as opposed to those who have been there.
Quote from: theduvalprogressive on September 12, 2013, 01:22:15 PM
My question is why can't neighborhood revitalization include plans to address the harm slumlords and developers often do in areas. It always seems like scale of helpfulness is always tipped in favor of the new arrivals as opposed to those who have been there.
So Robert, my well-to-do family are moving a few houses down and have the means to fix it up and make it our new dreamhome. We'd really appreciate it if you could throw on a new coat of paint, plant some annuals and how about get a car that looks like it was purchased this decade.
Facetious level : 68, but I'll still owe you one.
Kidding aside, should there be rules in place for everyone to be forced to update their homes as new people move in?
Perhaps with some plan for assistance. However you're not addressing my point about developers and slumlords. They're a far different animal than folks moving into a home. In my neighborhood folks do everything we can to discourage real estate developers from putting up "I sell/buy houses cheap". I lot of us feel that people like that often times exploit the hopeful and show little regard for the neighborhood at the same time. Right now the person who owns the property next to mine, who is a slumlord, is a constant source of aggravation as far as maintaining her rentals and moving people in who could care less about maintanence either.
Quote from: theduvalprogressive on September 12, 2013, 10:13:09 PM
Perhaps with some plan for assistance. However you're not addressing my point about developers and slumlords. They're a far different animal than folks moving into a home. In my neighborhood folks do everything we can to discourage real estate developers from putting up "I sell/buy houses cheap". I lot of us feel that people like that often times exploit the hopeful and show little regard for the neighborhood at the same time. Right now the person who owns the property next to mine, who is a slumlord, is a constant source of aggravation as far as maintaining her rentals and moving people in who could care less about maintanence either.
How can do differentiate between them? Developers, slumlords, lazy owners, out of towners, homeowner's kids....
What about us that aren't living in a 'historic area' that have vacant homes up and down the street? Some are maintained in hopes of eventually being rented or sold while others are left to the elements. I've mowed the vacant yard next to my home for the entire summer because I'm tired of the lawn looking like shit. What other recourse do I have? And seriously, the half-hour/45 minutes to mow the lawn, IMO, is a helluva lot less tedious than trying to deal with the RE company that used to have a sign out front.
I know this, because after contacting them several times about the yard, to no avail, I just started the upkeep and leave their sign laying down behind the shrubs.
Hi, I'm new here.
I've lived in the 32205 zip code, off and on, since the late 90s. As for how I feel about gentrification, you can keep it. Riverside, specifically the 5 Points area, was at one time an eclectic, fun, place to be. At this point, I feel like people such as myself were enticed into the neighborhood to make it "safe" and then were priced out. The powers that be love you artsy, small business minded folks to come in and lay the groundwork for them.
I have also lived in Springfield (twice) and I think that without an extremely vigilant community, the same thing will happen. Are you listening Springfield? Frankly, I would rather be asked for the occasional hand out, then watch a neighborhood I once loved become another enclave for the well heeled to be insulated from their neighbors. If that's what you want, there are plenty of gated communities that are well suited to your choice of lifestyle.
Spike Lee doesn't think gentrification is all great: http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/26/us/new-york-spike-lee-gentrification/index.html