I am Hydrogen, Via Chicago, Emathias, Kenmore - on Gentrification:
Thanks for not being simpletons. Such a refreshing and at times seemingly rare quality in this day.
There's been some interesting research recently (can't quite place it, or I would cite/link-to), that delved into the racial/ethnic aspect as far as neighborhoods that get gentrified. Neighborhoods that are above a certain percentage African American either just don't gentrify, or it happens at a comparatively glacial pace. By contrast, neighborhoods that are majority - or have at least a significant Latino percentage, and an African American percentage that doesn't reach a certain (forget where this lies, maybe 30-40%?) level are almost exponentially more ripe for gentrification.........
The Latino neighborhoods that are truly port-of-entry communities are particularly interesting. What I think a lot of folks don't realize in many cases are some of the implications of these being truly immigrant nabes............for instance, just an example - although social mobility is disturbingly declining and already much lower than many think (you know, this being 'Mearca 'an all), there being a constant influx of new immigrants (which is a very, very healthy phenomenon for this city and society, btw - I'll have to excuse you're by all appearances weird and shocking, almost fox-newsesque ignorance on the subject, baronvonellis) implies what common sense demands it does - that there are also a large number of families constantly moving out of these neighborhoods - and in many cases, at least somewhat upwardly mobile families. Where are they going? In some cases, definitely still to other areas of the city, but increasingly, the at least marginally more affluent Latinos are flocking to the suburbs - largely but I suppose not exclusively the southwest, west and northwest suburbs. I find this particularly true for Chicago's Mexican population (although I'm sure to at least an extent it also applies to the Puerto Rican and other Latino populations as well), as the vast majority of Mexican immigrants to Chicago are not coming from the large cities (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, etc), but rather rural areas up to small/med size cities. To them, reaching the middle class is often about the sfh and the car(s) and the yard, and space, etc etc and not at all assocated with urban living. My hope is that this would begin to change at least incrementally over time.........Broadly though, in this way, the Latinos are no different than Whites or for that matter African Americans who live in city neighborhoods and form families and reach the middle and upper-middle classes......they are still in large part departing for the suburbs at this stage in life.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that one potential partial solution to the gentrification 'dilemma' is that with time, and most importantly with improved neighborhood schools, gradually more Latinos in the immigrant nabes that move into the middle and upper middle class may see staying in and investing in Pilsen, Brighton Park, McKinley Park, Little Village, Back of the Yards, Humboldt Park, Logan Square, etc etc as a viable option, and this may make for an all-around healthier evolution for these gentrifying neighborhoods.....
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It's simple, really - try not to design or build trash.
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