This is what I’ll never understand about development policies that are supported throughout the nation. Why does the displacement and eviction of the current residents need to be associated with “development”? Why does urban renewal involve kicking everyone out? This is happening in Washington DC right now as well. Many long time residents of the city now find it impossible to afford rents and are being forced to leave. This is all just because the “city” is now becoming fashionable to higher income people. So the poor and overwhelmingly minority population is being sent packing to the suburbs or further out.

This happens in cycles actually. There was a time when many communities witnessed flight out of the cities into the suburbs. Now that the cities are being seen as a place to live again the flight is being reversed. Eventually all the poor people will be economically segregated in the suburbs again. They won’t have the public transportation they now have access to either. Then after three or four decades pass we’ll see the “well to do” moving back to the suburbs and pushing the poor out back to the city again!

I like development don’t get me wrong. When I lived in New York I was glad to see Times Square and 42nd Street evolve to what it is now. It’s not that I’m a fan of the chain stores per se, it’s just good to see the area be a place where people can actually feel safe and bring their families and friends to. In DC I must say it’s good to see the Penn Quarter changing for the better too. The problem is development means that you have to make a Faustian bargain and accept chain and big box stores by the boat load. You have to also accept the exodus of the poor. The corporate powers that be don’t seem to feel that mixed income neighborhoods can be successful. They definitely don’t look to include independent businesses enough. There’s no thought about affordable housing either.

Technorati : gentrification, harlem