Gentrification and Justice

In the class City Life, we talked a lot about the "wicked problem" of gentrification, segregation, and integration in American cities. This "wicked problem" is so "wicked" because of how deeply ingrained it is in seemingly every facet of our lives. Because of this, there is no clear solution to the problem, and because of the sheer number of stakeholders, there is often discord and bitter disagreement. In addition, overcoming the problem would impose heavy economic burdens on an impossibly large number of people. How can cities improve infrastructure and amenities in resource-deprived areas without displacing the residents who need these improvements? How can we resolve the social difficulties that accompany segregation while still affirming the desires of different groups to cluster? This is where the idea of differentiated solidarity comes into play.

For this paper, we pondered the idea of whether gentrification could actually be channeled toward a positive outcome for all. For many, gentrification is happening regardless, so we may as well consider ways to harness it for good. However, the "positives" of gentrification notwithstanding, the process still displaces people, particularly lower-income people of color. Even if gentrification broadens a city's tax base, it often does so by kicking out lower-income nonwhite residents and bringing in middle-class folks from outside the city. Even though gentrification cleans up blight and provides cities with more green infrastructure, it can only do so at the expense of raising rents and living costs, making it difficult for lower-income residents to stay put. Even if gentrification makes cities safer by increasing the capacity for policing, we must consider who that policing is for and whether or not that is beneficial to longtime residents.

Despite gentrification being mostly harmful to cities' most underserved populations, cities typically chase money from outside their borders rather than put money into these communities in need. For many cities, it is simply easier to chase machine fuel and ignore their residents. Follow the money - that is simply how the economic machines of cities function.