Gentrification is a term that has been used so much that it has lost true meaning. Across all major cities in the United States, gentrification has become a colloquial and normalized term. In her Ted Talk, Stacey Sutton offers a more nuanced definition of gentrification and urges the audience to think more critically about gentrification and its implications. Sutton also draws an important distinction between neighborhood revitalization and gentrification – in movements of revitalization, the neighborhood remains affordable for low-income residents and does not result in their displacement and, in reference to affordable housing, alienation. She asserts the importance of understanding gentrification as a social justice problem and as a “manifestation of inequality.” I think such a perspective is essential to understanding the spatial layout of and the evolution of neighborhoods and ethnic enclaves in New York City. Furthermore, this talk is important for understanding Freeman and Braconi’s research in their article regarding gentrification and displacement. Their research suggests that disadvantaged households would value the improvements of gentrifying neighborhoods. To echo Sutton’s point – do academic statistics really matter if it costs vulnerable communities their social networks and disregards their identities and lived experiences?
This past weekend, I met up with a friend who is studying abroad in New York City as an undergraduate student from NYU Abu Dhabi (her home institution). She told me all about her exciting city experiences – doing the typical touristy things but also the craziness of living in one of the most diverse and most populated cities in the United States. She talked about her newfound love for Brooklyn, specifically the “hipster” parts (i.e. the only part of Brooklyn she visited). When tourists visit New York City (and all of its gentrified neighborhoods), they experience a place that is aesthetically pleasing and what seems like a great community to be a part of. What they miss, however, is how those neighborhoods arrived at their current state and who was affected in the process. I thought about this a lot when I was talking to my friend and also when I watched Sutton’s Ted Talk.
Unrelated: Checkout this article in the NY Times about Governor Cuomo’s plans to demolish Robert Moses’ notorious Sheridan Expressway and replace it with a tree-lined boulevard!
