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The Change They Believe In | 152 comments (152 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: And that is totally false (none / 1)
The problem, as you know, that it is quite possible to remove slum conditions but at the same to remove the slum dwellers. Who will move to another slum. That is the paradox of gentrification: A quarter in bad condition is put into good condition, but most of its former inhabitants don't profit from this change.

Is a important discussion in Berlin right now.
But I have no solution to this problem as of yet. The usual solution is public housing, but that way was left in Daley administration and some of the old projects even torn down. (And it didn't seemed to work in the US earlier)

"Or you could choose to spend your time exposing the criminal behavior of the developers who will not at all be deterred or even inconvenienced by your expose."

You mean like Obama did as an community organizer?

"What V.I. Warshawksi would say, is something I'd like to know."

No Sara Paretsky fan?

Now, V. I. Warshawksi actually is a lawyer, but found out early on that the only way to fight for justice is of course being an P. I. She did took on unions (brotherhood of knifegrinders), insurance, medicine, the prison industry, I think also the media, but I never remember a explicit real estate angle angle. Rather surprising, now that I think about it. But than I haven't read everything.

by IM on Tue May 8th, 2012 at 11:53:13 AM EST
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Re: And that is totally false (none / 1)
The track record of such redevelopment in chicago seems to be mixed. There are, however, a lot of low income people who live in much better housing than before.

Community organizers are not addressing the audience of The Nation readers.

I am a big Sarah Paretsky fan. I think her novels do a good job of illuminating some of the difficulties of working within a setting where corruption and injustice are so rife. But mostly I enjoy where she shoots or beats up some bad guy.

by rootless2 on Tue May 8th, 2012 at 12:08:39 PM EST
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Re: And that is totally false (4.00 / 2)
IM:
The problem, as you know, that it is quite possible to remove slum conditions but at the same to remove the slum dwellers. Who will move to another slum. That is the paradox of gentrification: A quarter in bad condition is put into good condition, but most of its former inhabitants don't profit from this change.

I think the analysis looks simple here: It's not the neighbourhood, it's the poverty. Or well, it's the neighbourhood too, but mainly it is the poverty.

I am reminded of the city housing company in Malmoe that a decade or so ago struck a deal with the tenants association that improvements that can be postponed (change of wallpaper and such) will only be done when the tenant asks for it, but that will also be reflected in the rent. Now the city housing company feels there is a problem, because to many tenants choose not to have wallpaper and similar changed, preferring the low rent. It is quite easy to understand the city housing company not wanting to get slum on their hands, but it is also easy to understand tenants that choose low rent over improvemtns. I would guess that looking at incomes of the tenants who choose low rent you would find the real problem.

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Tue May 8th, 2012 at 02:29:08 PM EST
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The Change They Believe In | 152 comments (152 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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