Gentrification is a term used to describe renovation and renewal in the economic status of city. When this phenomenon occurs, there is an improvement in various areas of life. For example, one will witness a change in housing, employment, and technology (Lees, 25). Justin David, a writer at Newsday and New York magazine, says that gentrification is caused by an improvement in housing and investment in the local market. The social change that comes as a result of renovation has both positive and negative consequences. This raises the question as to whether this phenomenon is essential or not.
Cities that have experienced gentrification are characterized with improvement in service provision. David says that when the change happened in the city of Newsday, everybody felt it (Lees, 25). This is because fast moving food vendors were established, streets in the town were filled with people, and other services such as medical care increased. In another article about gentrification in England, we notice that the housing of people changed and businesses in the city grew. Gentrification paints the town a new color and makes its new again. In most situation when this happens, people tend to abandon the old way and descent to live a new life. The change is related to increase in the flow of currency and spending.
Gentrification involves a change in all groups of people living in the society. This is very important to establish balance. In a community where change has occurred, every individual strives to make the community better by working hard (Brown etal. 34). David says that the process of change does not involve an individual inflicting one another but instead every person sacrificing his time and will to help the society move from one step to another. For Japan to develop, the country encouraged every person to participate in the process of nation-building. This made the country to industrialize and achieve high economic goals. This illustrates that the input of every individual is needed to initiate change in the society.
Gentrification is associated with numerous advantages. An increase in the number of people living in the city makes the government to subsidies houses. New hospital and schools are established to cater for the social needs of the community (Brown etal. 34). This makes life bearable and easy for all people. In large economies like the US, renewal has helped to gap the differences that existed between people of different classes. This has made the population of people in town to stay in harmony with each other. In addition every individual feels worthy to live with other people when there are little differences.
Improving the status of the town attracts both local and external settlers. Majority of these people are investors and businessmen. This can, as a result, create employment opportunities for the public and bring diversity of goods and services in the city. In the town of New York and Chicago, gentrification caused influx of investors who built great businesses (Van-cginner 45).. This was important for the local government because it boosted the revenue collected from the tax. From this example, it is worthy to note that the aspect of change is suitable for both the public and the government.
Gentrification has transformed most of the micro-economies into great business hubs. In most cities that have changed, there is significant improvement in technology, transport, and communication. The increase in the number of elite groups in the US cities like New York has increased specialization that has caused significant transformation in the business sector. Also, highly skilled personnel have made the quality of services to improve in the towns (Van-cginner 45).. Theories which support the transformation claim that increased circulation of money in the economy have sparked politics to dominate most of the towns.
Gentrification has caused expansion in the entertainment industry. The new technology that is associated with the development of the major towns makes it easy for the entertainment business to thrive. For example, there are numerous recording stations and film theaters in most of the big cities of the United States like New York. Research has it that this phenomenon has attracted young artists and musicians. This is because the means of producing media content is enhanced and the audience is reached with more ease. In Hong Kong, the production of cinemas intensified when the technology of the city grew to support the platform. In the US, the establishment of companies such as the 21st century fox came into existence when the towns developed to help the technology (Van-cginner 45).
When the towns expand during the period of renovation, the idle resources surrounding most of the metropolitans is converted to useful assets. Most of the land attracts the real estate industries as well as the government to construct residential places. This stabilizes the economy because the people who stay in these houses pay rent. In Kenya, the government established the national park in the capital city. It was developed in the parts of the town that was dry and could not support the construction of buildings (Smith et al 13). This has attracted tourists who bring revenue to the nation. Other countries have adopted different strategies that are aimed at making the idle land situated near towns into useful money generating activities.
There are several challenges that are caused by gentrification. First, this phenomenon attracts immigration of people into the cities making them cities to become overpopulated. As a result, competition for the local commodities and foodstuff arise. This causes the prices of these items to increase thus raising the living cost in the society of people in towns. Another challenge that is associated with increased population in the city is increased crime rate. In significant towns in most of the countries like the US and UK, gangs and groups of malicious people have been reported. They aim to kill, steal, and destroy public property (Smith et al 13). The last challenge that is facing overpopulated cities is the poor planning. With the increase in the number of people living in the cities, the production of waste is enhanced. Most of the town councils find a hard time in finding strategies on how to manage these wastes. Some of the states which have advanced in technology recycle their scraps.
In conclusion, gentrification has a lot of advantages. It has helped to transform the old cities to metropolitans and major economies. People get employment due to the significant industrial changes that are associated with expansion of towns. There are several challenges that are related to modification of the old cities (Smith et al 13). However, the problems are not substantial to make someone reject the significance of these subjects. For this reason, I highly support gentrification as a model of transforming cities.
Work Cited
Lees, Loretta, Tom Slater, and Elvin Wyly. Gentrification. Routledge, 2013.
Smith, Neil, and Peter Williams, eds. Gentrification of the City. Routledge, 2013.
Brown-Saracino, Japonica. The gentrification debates: a reader. Routledge, 2013.
Van-cginner. The engaged reader, issues and conversation for composition, second edition.
