Once a busy shipping canal in the early 20th century, the Gowanus canal is now a body of water that is plagued by its past. The legacy of unsustainable environmental practices by the canal’s former users and now out of business businesses have taken its toll on the canal. The canal is now a superfund site, and efforts are being made to clean it up. With efforts to clean up the Gowanus Canal currently happening, there are talks that the area around the canal could become more gentrified as a result of this cleanup.
Gentrification is the idea that an empty lot or a low class area can be transformed into a more middle class area, for both residential and commercial purposes. While gentrification improves the quality of life within the area, it usually means that the old community is replaced with a newer richer one, ones that can keep up with the increasing property values in the area. So there is controversy over who the cleanup of the canal ultimately benefits.
This podwalk is to show the Gowanus Canal with the theme of Gentrification.
>>>>>>>>>The Map<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
I’m not sure if this is the most updated map or not. I’m having a bit of trouble understanding the route of the walk. It would also be useful if you could provide a bit more detail for the name of each stop.
Hi Again, I also want to remind you to use the vast resources that you have collected in your annotations to educate your listener/walker.