Quote:
Originally Posted by philadelphiathrives
I think you're mistaken about the term "gentrification". It is derived from the word "gentry", which refers to wealthy people who inherited their wealth from old family fortunes. Gentrification refers to the replacement of existing residents by this class of people, whose wealth increases property values so much that only wealthy people can live in these gentrified neighborhoods. Working class people and poor people are permanently shut out of gentrified neighborhoods, and many people dislike that scenario.
Revitalization is the term that you are probably thinking of. Revitalization implies more activity in a neighborhood. It is used to refer to physical improvements, mainly, that lead to increased economic activity and attracts new residents, tourists, and businesses to a neighborhood . It does not refer to the economic class of residents, so it is the less controversial term.
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Perhaps, but "revitalization" calls to mind projects, and so that word too has negative connotations. So what are we left with? One word implies exclusionism and the other projectism--and it's because of the projectist implications that
revitalization gained over the era of Big Housing that it's a word
sine qua non grata in technical circles...I am aware that gentrification has its own problems and issues, but until somebody coins a better word I'm going to keep using it.
How about "frindle"?