The Western World Daily Readings on Geography Chapter 44 North America Urban Geography II

CHAPTER 44 North America Urban Geography II Gentrification street in Chicago . Photo by Eric Rogers on . Many urban neighborhoods in the United States began to decline in the 19505 , and many of them have never recovered . But some have . is the economic revitalization of a once troubled urban neighborhood . Lower income residents are replaced by higher income residents , and older housing is renovated or replaced . Old industrial landscapes , like warehouses and factories , are renovated as , or replaced by , condos , galleries , clubs , restaurants , theaters , offices , or similar upscale commercial activities . All major American cities have experienced some gentrification . In Chicago , gentrification has largely been focused on the North Side , although some neighborhoods just south and west of the Loop have gentrified as well . Here is a photo from Chicago Avenue by Eric Rogers . A major cause of gentrification was simple real estate economics . By the 19805 , real estate in the suburbs had become extremely expensive . At the same time , urban real estate values had collapsed . Magnificent old buildings in the inner city could be purchased for next to nothing . It was only a matter of time before someone rolled the dice and took a chance on redeveloping a decayed neighborhood . Of course , the city and county governments of these depressed neighborhoods were more than happy to help . Governments gave economic grants and tax incentives to developers willing to revitalize an urban neighborhood . Governments also helped to fund the construction of parks , stadiums , and concert venues to serve as anchors for gentrification . 204

NORTH AMERICA URBAN GEOGRAPHY II 205 Portland , Oregon Photo on Other important factors were new environmental laws and the deindustrialization of American cities . Many people fled to the suburbs to avoid the smoke , filth , and crowds of industrial cities . Because of stronger environmental rules , closed factories , and decades of flight to the suburbs , cities had become cleaner and less crowded . They could be a much more pleasant place to live . Changing cultural conventions in the United States also helped to spur gentrification . One involved sexuality . Prior to the 19605 , it was uncommon for people to be openly gay . In fact , it was illegal . Gay sex was a crime in Illinois until 1962 , and remained illegal in many other states for several years after that . Even after legalization , gay Americans continued to face discrimination . Gay bars and clubs were discouraged in the suburbs and in upscale urban neighborhoods , so they often located in economically depressed urban areas . These bars , clubs , and other or businesses served as anchors for evolving gay neighborhoods , many of which became some of the first gentrified neighborhoods in their respective cities . New York Chelsea , Boston South End , Washington DuPont Circle , and Chicago are all examples of early gentrification , and all have strong ties to the gay community . Another important cultural change ofthe last few decades has been the age at which Americans get married and have children . In the , most Americans got married shortly after finishing high school or college , and usually had their first child not too long after . The suburbs were , and still are , designed to cater to the needs of the nuclear family a married couple with children . Compared to cities , the suburbs usually offer larger houses with larger yards . Crime rates are usually lower , and schools are generally . These are , of course , all things that

206 JOEL QUAM AND SCOTT CAMPBELL parents are interested in . So , in the , Americans typically finished school , got married , moved to the suburbs , and started a family . By the 19905 , however , cultural conventions were changing . More people were attending college , and thus getting married later . More women were starting careers , and having children later , or having no children at all . This meant that more people were spending their 205 and early , and perhaps their entire adult life , living outside of a nuclear family . Because of that , the suburbs became less appealing to many people . At the same time , cities were becoming more appealing places to live . Young , Americans began moving to urban neighborhoods . Perhaps the most important force in gentrification were the . DINK is an acronym for Double Income , No Kids , a term that was popularized in neighborhoods in the 19805 . A DINK is someone who lives with his or her boyfriend , girlfriend , or spouse , and does not have children . are often synonymous with yuppies another 19805 term derived from young urban are young college graduates with and good incomes . by Palm from Noun Because they share the cost of housing , do have kids , and make good money , have loads income . If you walk through a neighborhood and glance in the windows ofthe trendy restaurants and shops , and wonder who on earth has money to spend on that sort ofthing , it the . Not everyone who lives in a neighborhood is a DINK , of course , but since the , neighborhoods have evolved around the tastes , and wallets , of . Traditionally , who eventually had kids would move off to the suburbs . That changed over the last decade or so . As gentrified neighborhoods have become cleaner and safer , many former have decided to raise their children there . Oddly , many American parents now have a reverse commute , working in the suburbs , but raising a family in the city , turning the suburban model on its head . There is no denying the positives of gentrification . It great to see historic neighborhoods spring back to life after decades of economic decay . But gentrification has some serious downsides . As soon as a neighborhood begins to gentrify , property taxes and rents spiral upward . Many families who have lived in the same neighborhood for generations suddenly find themselves priced out of it . Neighborhood institutions like churches and ethnic clubs dwindle as their members are forced to move away . neighborhood shops , bars , and restaurants close down because rents and property values are too high , or because they do cater to the interests of the . These mom and pop shops are soon replaced by national chains . The ethnic and social characteristics that had shaped the neighborhood for generations are lost .

NORTH AMERICA URBAN GEOGRAPHY II 207 Did You Know ?

The term gentrification was coined by Ruth Glass , a sociologist who spent her career in London . In the , she detailed the process by which wealthy Londoners the gentry displaced longtime residents of neighborhoods . CITED AND ADDITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY Rogers , Eric . 2005 . Gentrification in Chicago . Generic (