The proposed redevelopment for “Industry City” in Sunset Park raised many concerns for the current residents living in Sunset Park. The author talks about how devastating the rezoning in Greenpoint-Williamsburg was for the Latino community living there. The article also brings up a very important point that I think many politicians fail to recognize, which is that although the small businesses and manufacturing that is in the Sunset Park area is not a part of the hip innovative economy that politicians want for New York, it is a vital part of the local economy. It provides unskilled positions for the immigrants that live in the area that might not have the means to achieve a higher education. In the next article “There is Nothing Innovative about Displacement” the author discusses a very common opinion especially among the current residents and that is if you displace the original community the City will lose one of its most appealing qualities and that is diversity. This has been the struggle between opinions, those at the top feel as though they are improving their city and those at the bottom feel as though they are losing their city and each side has a valid argument for and against gentrification. This is what the third article discusses and that is giving local people an education specifically tailored to the industry jobs they are hoping to get into. This I believe is an excellent solution to one of the major problems facing the technology innovation movement in New York and that is How do we get these local people with no higher education experience into jobs that require a higher education? The solution is to get these local tech companies to invest into education programs for the local communities to help them achieve the skill’s the will require then the companies that invested hire the graduates of those programs. This not only improves the quality of employment of this local communities residents it also maintains the City’s diversity. These articles have shown me something I have already known and that is just like with everything else technology when introduced properly and balanced with maintaining the local communities is something that betters people’s lives both in the local communities and outside them. Technology can create jobs, make people safer and healthier and improve the quality of our live and it is not something to be feared.
Excellent point, Mohammed! “Those at the top feel as though they are improving their city and those at the bottom feel as though they are losing their city and each side has a valid argument for and against gentrification.”
Employers used to train a local work force, but increasingly they outsource it to other companies, often local companies, to be sure, but they the employers do not necessarily feel they need to hire the local workers. How to make this work???
Professor Zukin