Gentrification In West Town

1. THE POLITICS OF
GENTRIFICATION
THE CASE OF WEST TOWN IN
CHICAGO

2. • GENTRIFICATION IN
WEST TOWN
• RACE, CLASS,
ETHNICITY
• POLITICAL, PRIVATE,
AND PUBLIC
INFLUENCE
• PUERTO RICAN
STRUGGLE FOR
NATIONAL,
PERSONAL, AND
GLOBAL IDENTITY
• MARKET VALUE OF
PEOPLE AND
PROPERTY

3. GENTRIFICATION IN WEST
TOWN
• WICKER PARK, HUMBOLDT PARK, UKRAINIAN VILLAGE,
EAST UKRAINIAN VILLAGE, SMITH PARK, NOBLE SQUARE,
RIVER WEST
• GENTRIFIERS VERSUS THE WORKING CLASS
COMMUNITY
• NEIL SMITH AND THE REVANCHIST CITY-THE
ACCUMULATION OF CITY CAPITAL DEPENDS ON THE
DISCREDITING AND EXCLUSION OF “MINORITY” GROUPS
(G.R.E.C.O.).
• ANALOGOUS WITH THE GENTRIFICATION OF
COMMUNITIES IN NEW YORK AND ACROSS THE GLOBE
• BLACK AND LATINO REMOVAL RELATING TO
GENTRIFICATION
• CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, NEAR NORTH, LINCOLN
PARK AND THE UPPER CLASS.

4. GENTRIFICATION IN WEST
TOWN
• 1950’S TO PRESENT STARTING WITH LINCOLN PARK.
• URBAN RENEWAL EQUALS THE REMOVAL OF LOW
INCOME MOSTLY MINTORTY AREAS.
• HISTORICALLY HOME TO WORKING CLASS EUROPEAN
IMMIGRANTS.
• AFFLUENT EUROPEANS BUILT MANSIONS
• LOCAL CITY GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATIONS
PLANNED REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN THE 1950’S
FORMING THE “CHICAGO CENTRAL AREA COMMITTEE”
• FOR THE PURPOSE OF BUILDING MIDDLE CLASS
HOUSING AND SERVING THE CITY’S BUSINESS
INTERESTS, DEPARTMENT OF URBAN RENEWAL

5. GENTRIFICATION IN WEST
TOWN
• REAL ESTATE AGENTS MARKETED “WEST TOWN”
• THEY TARGETED DISPLACED ARTISTS TO “BREAK IN”
WEST TOWN BY CREATING A FAVORABLE CLIMATE FOR
BUYERS.
• REAL ESTATE AGENTS CONTINUED TO PERFECT THE
BUSINESS AND PUBLIC SUPPORTED FORMULA USED TO
GENTRIFY WEST TOWN.
• SOME REALTORS COULD BUY PROPERTY AND SELL IT
BACK WITHOUT WORRY OF ANY LONG TERM OR SHORT
TERM LOSS TO CAPITAL.
• IN THE 1970’S, WITH THE GAINS FROM REDLINING AND
OTHER QUESTIONABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES LIKE
“SLUMLORDISM”, REAL ESTATE AGENTS BECAME THE
“ENGINE” OF GENTRIFICATION.

6. GENTRIFICATION IN WEST
TOWN
• 1960’S LINCOLN PARK GENTRIFICATION STARTED SLOWLY
FROM BUYING CLASSIC ARCHITECTURE AND REHABBING WITH
THE HELP OF PUBLIC FUNDS.
• WICKER PARK GENTRIFIED THROUGH THE CITY’S INVESTMENT
IN “IMPROVING” THE AREAS IN ADDITION TO REALTORS
ACQUIRING EXTREMLY CHEAP HOUSING WHILE NETWORKING
BUYERS UNDER THE COMMON GOAL OF STEADY EXPANSION.
• GENTRIFICATION HAS BECOME AN INDUSTRY IN WEST TOWN
AND NOW INCLUDES ALL FORMS OF REAL ESTATE
• LOW INCOME HOUSING IS RARE OR NON-EXISTANT
• LONG TERM RESIDENTS BLAME EACH OTHER WHILE
PROPERTIES BECOME TOO EXPENSIVE FOR LOW-INCOME
PEOPLE
• NEW BUYERS DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT REHAB WORK
THEMSLEVES. THEY CAN PAY TO HAVE IT DONE FOR THEM.

7. GENTRIFICATION IN WEST
TOWN
• WEST TOWN DESIGNATED A CONSERVATION AREA IN 1958
• PRO GENTRIFICATION GROUPS LIKE THE OLD WICKER PARK
COMMITTEE FORMED TO BRING GENTRIFYING REAL ESTATE
AGENTS, HOME BUYERS, AUTHORITIES, SPECULATORS AND
BASICALLY ANYONE WHO SEES GENTRIFICATION AS A
POSITIVE FORCE FOR RENEWAL.
• THEY LOBBIED, AGGRESSIVELY MARKETED, HARRASSED LONG
TIME LOW INCOME RESIDENTS, AND WORKED ON HISTORICAL
DESIGNATION AND OTHER METHODS OF ADDING VALUE.
• THEY OPENLY EXPRESSSED RACIST BEHAVIOR AND USED
CODED LANGUAGE TO VILIFY PUERTO RICANS SPECIFICALLY.
• GENTRIFIERS WORKED FOR EXTRACTING VALUE WHILE THE
GENTRIFIED WORKED ON IMPROVING THEIR SOCIAL AND
ECONOMIC STABILITY.
• THE SUCCESS OF GENTRIFICATION MEANS THE LOSS OF
COMMUNITY FOR THE WORKING POOR AND THE WORKING
CLASS.

8. GENTRIFICATION IN WEST
TOWN
• GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE BUSINESS WORKED TOGETHER
TO SUSTAIN GENTRIFICATION
• THE NORMALIZED VIEW OF GENTRIFICATION AS A NATURAL
ECOMONIC PROCESS DISREGARDS THE UNIQUELY RACIAL
COMPONANT
• NCO ISSUED A PEOPLE’S CONSERVATION PLAN TO FIGHT
GENTRIFICATION WITH LOW-INCOME HOUSING, LOCAL
RELOCATION, REHAB LOANS, AND OTHER MUCH NEEDED
SERVICES
• A PLAN FOR EAST HUMBOLDT PARK ADDRESSING THE NEEDS
OF LOCAL RESIDENTS WAS NEVER ACTUALIZED BECAUSE OF
THE LACK OF FUNDS COMPARED TO THE CITY SUPPORT GIVEN
TO URBAN RENEWAL.
• IN THE END GENTRIFICATION AFFECTS ALL WORKING CLASS
AND WORKING POOR GROUPS.
• GENTRIFICATION WAS NOT VIEWED NEGATIVLY IN THE 60’S
AND 70’S AND WAS OVERSHADOWED BY THE THREAT OF WHITE
FIGHT AND DISINVENSTMENT

9. RACE, CLASS, ETHNICITY
• RACE AND CLASS SPECIFIC
• MILITARIZATION OF CLASS AND RACE OR “CLASS WARS”.
• THE CONNECTION BETWEEN AND INTERPLAY BETWEEN RACE,
POVERTY, AND CLASS.
• FOR EXAMPLE, UPPER AND MIDDLE CLASS RACIALIZED
MINORITIES MOVING INTO WORKING CLASS AREAS.
• AFTER WWII DISINVESTMENT AND CLASSIC RACISM LEAD TO
“WHITE FLIGHT”
• IN THE 1960’S “WHITES” WHERE 97.7% OF WEST TOWN’S
POPULATION.
• PUERTO RICANS CONGREGATED AFTER WHITE FLIGHT AND
THE COMBINED “LATINO” POPULATIONS ROSE TO 60% BY 1990.
• NORTHWEST COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION TRIED TO CURB
“WHITE FIGHT” WITH THE HELP OF THE ARCHDIOCESE
DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AFFAIRS.

10. RACE, CLASS, ETHNICITY
• BLACK OCCUPANCY IN NOBLE SQUARE AND ADDRESSING
BLACK PEOPLE’S HOSUING NEEDS CHANGED THE SCOPE OF
THE RENEWAL PROJECTS.
• URBAN RENEWAL MEANT “NEGRO REMOVAL” BUT IN WEST
TOWN IT ECOMPASSED A BROADER RACIAL SPECTRUM.
• REGARDLESS OF THE CLASS ISSUE, THE RACIALIZATION OF
MINORITES REENFORCED RACIAL AND ETHNIC COMFLICT AND
THE SUBSIQUENT VILIFICATION AND REJECTION.
• CONTINUED DISINVESTMENT IN MINORITY AREAS AND THE
FAILURE TO FACTOR IN OBVIOUS RACISM IN LIMITING THE
MOBLITY OF RACIALIZED MINORITES LEAD THE NCO TO FAIL.
• INTERNAL CLASS BATTLES DIVIDED THE LATINO COMMUNITY
ON PRO AND ANTI GENTRIFICATION.

11. POLITICAL, PRIVATE, AND
PUBLIC INFLUENCE
• CONSERVATION AND RENEWAL SUPPORT FROM AFFLUENT
COMMNUNITIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS
• ECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLY POWERFUL GROUPS VERSUS
THOSE STRUGGLING FOR ORGANIZATION AND POLITICAL
POWER OR BASIC RESOURCES
• THE UNIFYING OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS AND DEVELOPMENT COPORATE ENTITIES.
• URBAN RENEWAL IS SEEN AS AN INSTITUTIONAL FORCE AIMED
AT DISPLACED LOW INCOME RESIDENTS.
• COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS BACKED BY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AIDED COMMUNITY BUILDING.
• THE SUBSEQUENT DALEY MACHINE AND THE ARCHDIOCESE
HAD MORE SUPPORT FROM “WHITE” ETHNICS BECAUSE
MINORITIES WHERE AT THE BOTTOM BOTH ECONOMICALLY
AND SOCIALLY.

12. POLITICAL, PRIVATE, AND
PUBLIC INFLUENCE
• WEST TOWN WAS THE SOURCE OF CATHOLIC PATRONS AND
THE SCHOOLS AND SERVICES THAT CATERED TO THEM
• MOST OF THE PEOPLE OF WEST TOWN WHERE IGNORANT OF
THE PROCESS LET ALONE TO THE TERM GENTRIFICATION
• THE SUCCESS OF GENTRIFICATION MEANS THE LOSS OF
COMMUNITY FOR THE WORKING POOR AND THE WORKING
CLASS.
• THE COMMUNITIES THAT LACK THE MOST, STATE, PRIVATE,
AND NATIONAL SUPPORT ARE DESTROYED BEFORE GETTING
ANY CHANCE TO ESCAPE THE PITFALLS OF LOW INCOME,
MARGINALIZED, AND/OR POOR RACIALIZED GROUPS.

13. PUERTO RICAN STRUGGLE
FOR NATIONAL, PERSONAL,
AND GLOBAL IDENTITY
• THE PUERTO RICAN STRUGGLE AGAINST GENTRIFICATION WAS
AND IS A STRUGGLE FOR A PLACE TO LIVE,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THEIR CULTURE, AND IN IMPROVING
COMMUNITY LIFE FOR THE LOW INCOME AND WORKING CLASS.
• AFTER GAINING SOME POLITICAL POWER WITH THE ELECTION
OF HAROLD WASHINGTON THE PUERTO RICAN COMMUNITY
FACED A GREATER THREAT BECAUSE THE NEW INVESTMENT
FROM THE ADMINISTRATION MADE THE AREA MORE DESIRABLE
TO GENTRIFIERS.
• LUCHA

14. MARKET VALUE OF PEOPLE
AND PROPERTY
• AS TAXES RISE, THE MARKET GAINS MORE WEALTH AND LOW
OR AVERGE INCOME HOUSHOLDS HAVE TO IMPROVE THEIR
HOMES OR SELL
• THE SUPPLY AND DEMEND ASPECT OF THE FREE MARKET WAS
INSTEAD MANIPULATED BY THE MARKETING OF RACISM,
PUBLIC OFFICE CORRUPTION, AND THREATENING CRIMINAL
PRACTICES EVEN BY CIVIL SERVENTS OF THE STATE.
• RACE AND CLASS ARE MOLDED TO CONFORM TO MARKET
PRACTICES NO MATTER HOW CORRUPT, IMMORAL, OR UNJUST.