LA Weekly’s David Zahniser does a bang-up job dissecting the double-edged sword of gentrification. His extensive article focuses on many of the region’s tasty li’l hot-pockets of infill activity (Echo Park, Manhattan Beach, Venice), and assesses the social, political, and economic facets of gentrification in a clear-eyed, balanced way. And we’re using Webster’s definition of “balanced”, not Fox News'.
”With so many contradictory demands, it’s hard not to ask: Can’t the city’s civic elites — its policymakers and its politicians, community groups and business leaders — just make up their minds? After all, they want to boost the city’s rate of home ownership, but not necessarily at the expense of rental units. They want neighborhoods to improve, then blanch when those communities improve too quickly, making it economically prohibitive to stay. They spend years voicing anxiety about middle-class flight, then they are shocked to discover that a reverse migration might displace the working poor.” Fave Feature: A clever sidebar identifies some of the tell-tale signs that your ‘hood may be going upmarket. Beware gelato, artists, and horsetail grass.
· Welcome to Gentrification City [LA Weekly]
· The Evidence Room: Five Signs You're Gentrifying [LA Weekly]