Gentrification [Brooklyn, New York, USA] - Bilge Yılmaz

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Gentrification Gentrification is a process by which urban low-income neighborhoods, which may have previously experienced divestment or economic decline, experience an in-migration of more affluent residents, re-investment in the neighborhood, and change in the neighborhood’s lifestyle amenities. The process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste.

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Conceptual Framework Gentrification can be defined as a subsection of Neoliberalism concept. Neoliberalism is the ideology and policy model that emphasizes the value of free market competition. It is most commonly associated with released economics. In particular, neoliberalism is often characterized in terms of its belief in sustained economic growth as the means to achieve human progress, its confidence in free markets as the most-efficient allocation of resources, its emphasis on minimal state intervention in economic and social affairs, and its commitment to the freedom of trade and capital.

Case Study There’s a contention about the question that is it beneficial or malignant.

“Nothing more and nothing less than the neighborhood expression of class inequality”.

“Gentrification privileges a wealthier part of society by displacing those with fewer means (functionally widening the inequality gap).”

“Nevertheless, we’re keeping it because the word serves as a potent reminder that this is a fundamentally class-based issue, which gets lost when we use more generic phrases like “urban renewal” or “urban redevelopment”.

Properties of the Process -Urban redevelopment process in low-income neighbourhoods.

-Conscious change in the urban condition.

-Process, not an instantenous change.

-Takes effect in a short period of time.

-Causes the displacement of original residance, ingrained residents and the texture of the local urban area.

-Causes inflated home prices, higher taxes and increased property values.

Gentrification Location: Brooklyn, New York Thirty years ago, New York was a dying city. The decline of the industrial sector, high rates of crime, pollution and racial tensions forced the middle and working class to leave the city and escape to the suburbs. New York was the perfect example of the process called white flight. In the 90s things started to change. New York City was no longer a place where one could get shot. Anti-crime, "zero tolerance” policy put the crime level under control. New York City became a leading financial and banking center for the world. People from the upper middle class started to return to the city. Greenwich Village, once occupied by artists, was one of the first areas affected by this process that is now known as gentrification.

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Defenders of Gentrification

Victims of Gentrification

Pioneer-Developer Steve prefers the word “redevelopment,” and does not feel responsible for the side effects of his engagement. “You start selling something different than fried chicken and pizza and you are called a `gentrifier´. It’s like blaming the inventor of the wheel for the climate change.

“For a while it is wonderful, then it gets gentrified, rich people move in, others move out, that’s New York.”

“I say `change or die´ and I’m prepared to stay.”

“It was a nightmare. When I came here 9 years ago, the streets were crowded with gangsters and drug-dealers. Today, the freely accessible stage in the bar attracts musicians from all over the world. Along with them come artists, gays, hipsters, and the most frightening crowd of first-wave ‘gentrifiers’, “I want to give it a try as a newcommer.

And if it doesn’t get better within a year, I will move somewhere else because I am not feeling welcomed here.”

“I’m here because it’s cheap and close to the subway.”

“I could never afford a place like this in Williamsburg.”

“I’ve seen it when nobody wanted to live here. As soon as I started to rent an apartment, the rents went up, and now it’s like we’re not even good enough to stay in the neighborhood anymore.”

“The only problem that I have is the pushing people out of the neighborhood.

They’re moving you because you don’t have money.”

“We would like to move back to New York, but it doesn’t make sense — in Brooklyn, all the money I was making would go right back to rent.”

Brooklyn and Manhattan Sub-Borough Areas -Gentrifying: Low-income in 1990 and experienced rent growth above the median between 1990 and 2010-2014.

-Non-gentrifying: Started off as low-income in 1990 but experienced more modest growth than gentrifying areas.

-Higher-income: Had higher incomes in 1990 and thus were already gentrified.

-Note the non-gentrifying neighborhoods next to many of the gentrifying neighborhoods, reflects the concentrated advantage and disadvantage in New York City.

-Williamsburg/Greenpoint in Brooklyn saw the highest increase in average rent from 1990 to 2010-2014—a whopping 78 percent.

-In recent decades, gentrifying neighborhoods have seen substantial gains in income. Average household incomes rose by 7.3 percent in the 1990s and 6.1 percent from 2000 to 2010-2014.

-Across the city, average household incomes grew slightly in the 1990s, but declined after the year 2000.

Where New York Is Gentrifying (1990-2017)

Brooklyn Residential Price Changes (2004-2012)

Brooklyn Rent Changes in Neighborhoods (1990-2014)

Conclusion Various perimeters of the local urban area changed by the effect of gentrification. Rents and residential property prices increased. The natural texture of the local urban area is corrupted. Accustomed brick-side-chick houses changed. Neighborhood and city pattern are changed and replaced by upscale built (luxury condos). Artist took place over low-income people. Changes in the age (young population increased), income, and education of residents moving into and out of these neighborhoods (educated population increased), as well as the changes in housing prices and rents.

These changes occured by gentrification process have positive and negative impacts on urban condition at the same time. Changes shouldn’t be considered in a subjective approach. Gentrification process should be re-arreanged considering the benefit of urban actors, reducing the harmful effects on them as much as possible.

References https://www.citylab.com/equity/2016/05/looking-back-at-g entrification-in-new-york-city/482310/ https://medium.com/for-whom-cities-grow/gentrificationwhat-does-the-term-mean-part-1-7be9ae3616a https://thebridgebk.com/who-are-real-culprits-behind-hyp er-gentrification/ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/nyregion/brooklyn-g entrification-fear-police-shooting.html https://nypost.com/2017/11/06/hipsters-are-driving-low-in come-hispanics-out-of-brooklyn/ https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gentrification.asp https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/dec/09/best-gentr ification-parodies-snl-south-park-key-peele https://electricliterature.com/how-gentrification-changed-th e-brooklyn-literary-scene-a084cba8660d https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/06/when-caribbean-cult ure-meets-gentrification/562553/ https://www.nylikeanative.com/resources-on-brooklyn.html