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"LRTs displace all the poor people"?
#60
(05-04-2016, 01:02 AM)CTGal1011 Wrote: Our house was at one time a duplex. We converted it back to a single family dwelling.  Are we part of the gentrification problem? I don't think so.  I don't believe the house as a duplex was at all appropriate for renters.

You don’t think so, but the renters who were actually living there did think it was appropriate. I don’t personally think “gentrification” is a “problem,” but rather natural change. But, in your case, your family did displace two households. You did that because it was right for you, and that’s good, but I think it’s wrong to start rationalizing the changes we demand based on the implicit assumption that our values are the correct ones.

My neighbourhood has a lot of the dynamics you describe, and a very strong “us” and “them” mentality, too. I think it's unfortunate but also see no solution to it. The people whom I call the newcomers tend to have kids and full-time jobs, and this describes me, too. The old-timers are much more likely to not be employed full-time or year-round, and as a result do things that some of the newcomers consider antisocial or unacceptable. A lot of it is related to how the old-timers interact with homeless people and other transients who spend time in the neighbourhood.

There are concerns about things like needles in parks and vacant lots, and it’s true that there are vacant lots where people sleep. A lot of people have the opinion that these things are caused by or exacerbated by the behaviours of some of the permanent residents (i.e. behaving towards more transient neighbourhood users in ways other than outright hostile). It’s not just rising rents and property taxes that are displacing people. There is a real colonizing mentality among some of my newer neighbours that in my view makes the natural changes even more difficult than they otherwise would be. We’re close to new tech offices and upcoming LRT stations, and I’m nervous about how the neighbourhood will continue to change for some residents in the future.
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Messages In This Thread
"LRTs displace all the poor people"? - by ookpik - 11-06-2015, 09:20 AM
RE: "LRTs displace all the poor people"? - by nms - 01-28-2016, 10:49 AM
RE: "LRTs displace all the poor people"? - by nms - 01-29-2016, 01:48 PM
RE: "LRTs displace all the poor people"? - by MidTowner - 05-04-2016, 09:34 AM
RE: "LRTs displace all the poor people"? - by nms - 05-09-2016, 01:17 PM
RE: "LRTs displace all the poor people"? - by nms - 04-10-2017, 12:54 PM
RE: "LRTs displace all the poor people"? - by nms - 04-20-2017, 11:28 PM

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