Photo 1: Brooklyn
There is artwork in each version of the area, but the difference between them is interesting to note. The original has a more illustrative graffiti style, while the second has a more simple graphic design. I think it can represent the nature of gentrification as a whole, through the differences in cultural artwork. The graffiti style is more popular in Hispanic and Black areas, while the simple, corporate graphic style does not have a cultural significance.
May, Kristy. “Naked Dog, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, 2015 – BROOKLYN CHANGING.” Kristy May Photography, www.kristymay.com/fine-art/brooklyn-before-after-gentrification/naked-dog-greenpoint-brooklyn-2015.
Photo 2 : New York City
This photo is similar to Photo 1. The first photo shows a cultural significance through the artwork, with members of the community contributing to the layers of graffiti. It has a representation of community, while the second photo is plain in comparison.
Pham, Diane. “See Brooklyn Before and After Gentrification in Kristy Chatelain’s New Photo Series.” 6sqft, 8 Sept. 2015, www.6sqft.com/see-pre-and-post-hipster-brooklyn-in-kristy-chatelains-bold-photo-series/.
Photo 3: Harlem
This photo set is a part of a project by photographers James and Karla Murray, which was done to show the transformation of cities over several years. The first photo is from 2005, and the second photo is from 2014. This “before and after” example photo is an example of a small business being closed down, and turned into a more simple building. The rich culture of the original diner is apparent in comparison to renovated plain black exterior, and the contrast in the two photos is jarring.
Geiling, Natasha. “New York City’s Disappearing Mom-and-Pop Storefronts.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 7 Apr. 2014, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/new-york-storefront-comparison-photos-180950376/.
Photo 4: New York City
This is an example of a small business called 2nd Ave Deli being replaced with a Chase Bank. There is a common theme of small local businesses that are familiar to the community being replaced with well known, big corporations. This is done to appeal to the new population in the area. The familiar, local businesses are more likely to appeal to the original residents because they are seen as cultural staples that have existed for many generations.
Geiling, Natasha. “New York City’s Disappearing Mom-and-Pop Storefronts.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 7 Apr. 2014, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/new-york-storefront-comparison-photos-180950376/.
Photo 5: Bronx Protest
This is a photo of a protest in the Bronx about the “rezoning” of Southern Boulevard (2017). This reclassification of the area would cause the price of housing and rents to increase, beyond the tenants means. In this area, about half of the population made less than $25,000 a year. 97% of people were Black and Latino. The area previously had thousands of affordable housing units demolished to construct the Sheridan Expressways and Cross Bronx. This is a show of changing a city in a way that is disadvantaging the original tenants.
Savitch-Lew, Abigail. “City Eyes Second Bronx Neighborhood for Possible Rezoning.” City Limits, 13 Dec. 2016, citylimits.org/2016/12/13/city-eyes-second-bronx-neighborhood-for-possible-rezoning/.
Photo 6: Portland Protest (2020)
The protest started over many arrests were issued over the arguments of Black and Indigenous people being evicted from their homes. “Supporters of the Kinney family, the Black and Indigenous family that faced foreclosure, have said the home was unjustly taken through predatory lending practices that target people of color.” It was one of the few black owned residencies in the area that still remained after 20 years of gentrification. The family had owned the property since 1955. They took out a loan in 2002, and the interest rate was increasing over the years and had to refinance to keep up with increasing payments.
Flaccus, Gillian. “Large Gentrification Protest in Portland Stretches into Third Day.” Spokesman.com, The Spokesman-Review, 10 Dec. 2020, www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/dec/10/large-oregon-gentrification-protest-stretches-into/.
Photo 7 : Atlantic Yards Residents Income Graph (2006)
This graph shows the before and after of incomes in the Atlantic Yards area. The first is the real incomes of the residents, and the second is the hypothetical “goal” of income that would occur through gentrifying the area. The goal is to generally have more high income families in the area, and to lower the amount of low income families. The increase in wealthier residents is beneficial for city officials and the people who gain money from residents, but not the poor families who lived there originally.
Richardson, Jason, et al. “Shifting Neighborhoods: Gentrification and Cultural Displacement in American Cities ” .” NCRC, 12 Nov. 2020, ncrc.org/gentrification/.
Photo 8: Neighborhood Index Score – Detroit
This is the neighborhood index score made by Data Driven Detroit. This is designed for city builders to see the effects that changes to the city can have on specific areas of the city, and how big these changes could be. This acts as a warning system that can inform residents and city officials about potential changes in their mindsets about development in certain areas of the city. This is done through interviewing residents and making focus groups. The organization interviews people of different ages and races, and takes note of data like crime data, tax foreclosures, home sales, and more.
Saunders, Pete. “The Scales of Gentrification.” American Planning Association, www.planning.org/planning/2018/dec/scalesofgentrification/.