I'm really fascinated by the way cities are shaped. The more I learn about my own city (Memphis) the more I see the practical implicatations that various development strategies have on the life of various neighborhoods. As a Christian, I am also deeply concerned about the impact that any development strategy might have on the lives of the poor.
One of these strategies is often referred to as "gentrification". I hear about the evils of gentrification all the time. Some even toss around that term when they discuss the neighborhood that Emily and I live in. Typically, gentrification is reffered to as a an influx of wealthy people into a low-income neighborhood for the purpose of redevelopment. The wrong approach to gentrification can often result in the formerly low-income neighborhoods facing an increase in property values, which in turn increases rent, and as a result can force some lower income residents to move out. I would have to agree that this is something that must be addressed and countered, but let's not stop there.
Arguing that gentrification is the primary source of problems for the poor in 21st century urban America is ignoring the reality. I'm by no means a proponent of gentrification, but before we get too far in an analysis of gentrification we must first stop and consider the more pressing questions like: What made a particular neighborhood become classified as "low-income" to begin with? What factors contributed to the creation of a neighborhood that would cause the "gentry" to want to come in and redevelop? How can we keep from recreating these concentrations of poverty in other parts of our city in the future? To me, these are the "root" questions. If we hadn't established these huge concentrations of poverty in years past, the idea of "gentrification" wouldn't even exist.
One of the biggest factors in the extreme segregation of our city is urban sprawl. Over the last 20 years in the city of Memphis, the low-income population has been scrambling to stay close to the jobs that have steadily moved further and further east. I would have to imagine that the impact of this sprawl has forced thousands and thousands of low-income residents to either be dispersed or settle into a life of desperate poverty, isolated in the shadows of downtown Memphis. To me, this alternative is no more desirable in terms of justice for the poor than are the effects of gentrification.
Somewhere, we have to find a place to meet in the middle. I recently came across an interesting article in Time Magazine that was written in June, 2008. In the article, the author quotes a study done on gentrification and the actual impact that it has on neighborhoods - here's a pretty interesting segment:
"A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Pittsburgh and Duke University, examined Census data from more than 15,000 neighborhoods across the U.S. in 1990 and 2000, and found that low-income non-white households did not disproportionately leave gentrifying areas. In fact, researchers found that at least one group of residents, high school–educated blacks, were actually more likely to remain in gentrifying neighborhoods than in similar neighborhoods that didn't gentrify — even increasing as a fraction of the neighborhood population, and seeing larger-than-expected gains in income."
The article goes on to state that there is no denying that problems do arise out of gentrification, but that many of the perceived problems are largely over-exaggerated and sometimes actually non-existent. I would guess that a similar case could be made by those who would defend the sprawling model of development - which could be described by some as "newer, cleaner, and safer". It just goes to show that when we begin discussing something we don't understand or have set our minds against, we tend to only point out the negative extremes - but rarely is anything all bad.
It seems that cities tend to play up both of these extremes - massive sprawl and massive central city redevelopment can both get caught up in the corporate engines, primarily running on a profit motive. The developers will continually promise of a life problem free living - for a certain price - but the reality is, that will never be the case. It's time we come to grips with the reality of community living.
Community living requires a resiliancy and willingness to fight and care for those around us, even when the problems seem really big. Unfortunately, the more we run (sprawl) or the more we make "them" run (gentrification), the bigger the problems become. So what if everyone just stopped running? What if Memphis just stopped worrying about "growing" and just started worrying about sustaining and living with the things we already have? If we did so, I believe we could see a beautiful new Memphis emerge. Our city, already one of the most diverse cities in America, has the opportunity to become a national model of justice based gentrification. In this new Memphis, no longer will we ignore the forgotten residents of our city (because it's hard to forget about them when they live next door). In this new Memphis, no longer will schools be segregated, no longer will churches be segregated, and no longer will jobs be available only to those who can afford the commute.
My hope is that our city can integrate intentional efforts at sustainability with a healthy dose of compassion. I believe they must go hand-in-hand. I like how the great Bob Lupton puts it:
"Gentrifcation is our new reality. Some rail against it; others laud it's arrival. But for good or ill, it is our new reality, and it will only increase in the years to come. Gentrification means to welcome a new economic and social life for our cities and, with the proactive involvement of the saints, can introduce a whole new era of hopefulness for the poor. Our mantra must be: gentrification with justice."
