Gentrification and its Positive and Negative Impacts on Local Inhabitants

Gentrification and its Positive and Negative Impacts on Local Inhabitants

According to Greiner (2014), gentrification occurs when affluent people in a city move in and acquire buildings in low-income areas and renovate them. The process is mainly meant to eliminate the problem of blight, which is associated with poor drainage systems and other settlement problems. Gentrification is recognized for improving the landscape of low-income neighborhoods. However, as the settlements are improved, rent and other living costs in gentrified areas will likely increase.

Among the positive impacts of gentrification are blight removal and blight prevention. For instance, the problem of blight is imminent in Detroit, where home foreclosures are common (Greiner, 2014). Even though home foreclosure does not necessarily lead to blight, if such homes are closed for extended periods, then blight will eventually set in. The city hires bulldozing companies to bring down neglected houses to address the problem. Also, gentrification plays a critical role in retaining the value of a property. Blight prevention in neglected property goes a long way in restoring the property’s value. Actions to prevent blight may include spraying grass to prevent it from overgrowing (Greiner, 2014). In the long run,  such actions prevent surrounding property from losing value. Hire our assignment writing services in case your assignment is devastating you.

The negative impacts of gentrification are attributed to the conversion of previously poor neighborhoods into high-end settlements, thus kicking out low-income communities in various ways. Firstly, the emergence of high-rise buildings forces landlords to increase rent, which low-income communities may not afford (Chong, 2017). Also, landlords find more incentives to convert existing apartments into non-residential ones to enhance their income, leading to the eviction of current residents. Additionally, gentrification encourages real-estate dealers to sell buildings at higher prices instead of improving them (Chong, 2017). As the cycle continues, the low-income resident is the ultimate loser since dealers only focus on enhancing their revenue.

References

Chong, E. (2017, September 17). Examining the Negative Impacts of Gentrification. Georgetown Law. https://www.law.georgetown.edu/poverty-journal/blog/examining-the-negative-impacts-of-gentrification/#:~:text=Gentrification%20usually%20leads%20to%20negative

Greiner, A. L. (2014). Visualizing human geography. Wiley-Blackwell.

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Gentrification

Define gentrification in your own words. Discuss the positive and negative impact of gentrification on local inhabitants in your own city/town or a nearby urban area.
Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.