David Madden laments that our current debate over gentrification, whether bemoaning a loss of authenticity or trumpeting the good that trickles down, "doesn't do justice to everything at stake." He suggests how to reorient the discussion.
"In countless urban districts across the world, affordable housing is on the decline and displacement is on the rise," observes Madden. "This is especially true in New York and London, where observers are straining to find sufficient prefixes (mega, hyper and super have all been aptly applied) to describe the pace at which gentrification is changing the city."
"In an insidious way, the narrative of 'urban renaissance' – the tale of heroic elites redeeming a city that had been lost to the dangerous classes – permeates a lot of contemporary thinking about cities, despite being a condescending and often racist fantasy," he continues.
By framing urban decay as the only alternative to gentrification, the ways in which our cities can be improved to the benefit of all are overlooked.
"It's beyond time that policymakers, planners and urbanites de-gentrified their thinking about cities," Madden urges.
FULL STORY: Gentrification doesn't trickle down to help everyone
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research