…it’s here to stay.
Cartoon by Bill Bramhall ( for more cartoons click here: Cartoons)
With sleek high rises and trendy coffee shops opening up at unprecedented rates, gentrification has made its mark on the mainstream socio-political agenda. Rezoning and redevelopment within urban hubs have triggered an increase in property values. While the process of gentrification has much potential to stimulate the economy and improve the quality of life in a neighborhood, it can also shatter the livelihoods of many people – those who are forced to uproot and move out because they can no longer afford to live in an area.
Scholars like Fillip Stabrowski, Jacob Vidgor, and Kathe Newman and Elvin Wyley contribute to the discussion of gentrification by examining the phenomenon from distinct, often overlooked perspectives that complicate pre-existing arguments. In particular, Stabrowski expands the term gentrification to encompass more than just spatial relocation. He says, “I define ‘everyday displacement’ as the lived experience of ongoing loss—of the security, agency, and freedom to ‘make place.’ This is the inherently violent process whereby the systemic nature of capitalist gentrification colonizes ever-greater reaches of the lifeworlds of working class residents” (796). Everyday displacement fuels neighborhood erasure – or the loss of the unique character of a place. Thus in his examination of the evolving landscape of Polish Greenpoint, Stabrowski forces us to consider gentrification as a two-fold process – one that involves displacement from both the personal home and the communal enclave.
But Jacob Vidgor adopts a different approach. The central question in his argument is whether gentrification is harmful to the poor. By exploring multiple causes of displacement, as well as the beneficial effects of gentrification on the poor (which seem to be seldom touched upon in scholarly reports), Vidgor develops a critical analysis of this ongoing phenomenon that continues to redefine our spatial, social, and culture lives. Newman and Wyley, on the flip side, pursue a more definitive stance. They argue that gentrification is a destructive force that not only uproots individuals, but also leads to the increased class polarization of urban housing markets. Having engaged in dialogue with residents and community organizers, Newman and Wyley also discuss various methods used to resist displacement in a policy climate emphasizing selective deregulation and market-oriented social policy.
When we think of gentrification today, we can’t just associate the term with a mental image of bougie Williamsburg – that would be irresponsible and problematic. It would neglect the bigger issues at hand – the forced displacement of thousands of individuals, the loss of distinct neighborhood culture, and heightened class tension. As the aforementioned authors have demonstrated, it is extremely pivotal to dissect and gentrification – from multiple standpoints – in order to develop feasible solutions that cater to the community as a whole.
