To me, urban renewal means exactly what it says; it is the renewal of a city to its original or a renovated state. It brings to mind a vision of long term city projects involving large scale projects that improve the aesthetic and productivity of run down areas without harming the housing market. However, when I think of the word gentrification, I think of a completely new city replacing the old city. Many people would associate gentrification with corrupting the social and economic systems of a city because gentrification is the improvement of a city as a result of higher income individuals moving into areas of the city abandoned by lower income individuals that can no longer afford to live in such updated areas. It is true that with both gentrification and urban renewal, there are many benefits and positive changes seen to the city; nonetheless, gentrification will usually be tainted in a negative light because of the lack of support for the existing community over the incoming younger, richer, communities looking to benefit from the availability of businesses and corporations. Unlike urban renewal, which has positive connotations, gentrification results in a city’s loss of culture, community, and ties to history and it’s because of this that the word carries a negative connotation.
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2012
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