Revitalization or Elimination

When researching the definition of gentrification I found that it refers to the changes that result when wealthier people "the gentry" acquire property in low income and working class communities. This movement results in poorer native residents of a neighborhood, being unable to pay increased rents, housing prices, and property taxes. Once these individuals are unable to keep up with increasing costs they end up being displaced while others who can afford the cost take their place, creating a new look to the community. Although this type of displacement and disparity can be created in some situations, sometime's additional assistance and attention from the city can bring new opportunities and a new enriching life to a neighborhood.

Urban gentrification occurs throughout the world and we see many examples here in the Nation's Capital. I work in Northeast across from the Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood Metro Station and if anyone has traveled past this metro in the past year you have noticed the dramatic changes that have occurred in less than a year. I started working in Northeast in late August and at that time there were no condominiums, no parking garage, no apartments, no TJ Maxx and no TD Bank. Traffic is even more congested as you make your way to Home Depot, Giant or the metro. With these new commodities and housing opportunities means a new look for the Brentwood community.

The plans for this project are extensive with $7 million in city funds, the Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood station will now include 274 apartments and 70,000 square feet of retail over the once underused parking lot. I have complained before about the lack of retail and services in close proximity to the Brentwood neighborhood, but this project will bring the much needed retail to the area. While reading up on the community and this new mixed-use project I learned that the Brentwood area is the closest neighborhood to downtown DC with such underutilized land and little to none street level activity.

It seems to me that the city is attempting to bring some of the neighborhoods of DC to the same activity level as and look of the more affluent DC neighbohoods. With this large project there are some logistics that the city has overlooked like the fact that they are building on the steep hill next to the street, but have no plans to widen the sidewalk. Now I agree that building additional retail in a neighborhood does help to revitalize the community in an effective way, but as more change occurs how does this affect those that are unable to keep up with rising costs and are left behind. And as said, Brentwood is not the only neighborhood with lots of construction in the works; check out the Shaw neighborhood and our neighbors across the river in Anacostia.

What are your views on gentrification? Is this revitalizing the community or suppressing and eliminating the community?

--Krystal