Causes of gentrification
1) Proximity to high status area. This is because when people move to an area, they want to live in a nice attractive area. However, since most people are moving to the area to escape high housing prices in other areas, it is unlikely they will have enough money to afford to live in the best area of Brighton. Therefore, they decide to live on the outskirts of a gentrified area, Preston which is adjacent to Seven Dials where they will live. When they move to an area which is less gentrified, they would want to improve the area and therefore, it will undergo gentrification.
2) Attractive older housing. This is important because it is often an important 'pull' factor for people because if they cannot afford attractive older housing where they live currently, they will look elsewhere for it. People who are willing to move will do it because it will improve their standard of living. In general, people will not move to an area with bad housing because it will be an unpleasant place to live.
3) Proximity to good transport links. This is also important since when people move away from an area which is very close to their place of work, to a more distant location, they would still want to get to work easily. If transport links are nearby it will minimize any extra and unnecessary commuting time
The factors which prevent gentrification:
1) High crime rate. Crime rate is very important as a factor to deter gentrification because people do not want to move from an area in which they are safe, to one where they might suffer muggings or burglaries. People also view crime rate as an indicator to show the quality of atmosphere of the area and as an indicator to see how deprived and area is.
2) Proximity to large high rise council flats. Council flats are considered to be ugly, and havens for crime and poverty. Unless people are desperate, they would not want to live in a high rise council flat primarily because of its image and because it is not considered to be a comfortable environment or place to live.
3) Poor and inaccessible transport links. Without good transport links, people cannot get to the area easily, as well as leaving the area for their work. This is only an important concern for commuters, but is still not going to improve the area's chances of attracting people from the pioneer group who will start gentrification.
4) Proximity to heavy industry. Heavy industry creates much pollution. In addition to the air pollution, sound and sight pollution is created which not only makes the area unattractive to the eye, but also bad for your health.
Therefore, all of the factors which encourage gentrification to occur are all factors which either improve the environment, or make it a more appealing place to live. These factors 'pull' people to the area. However, all the factors which deter gentrification are all detrimental to the environment and atmosphere of the area which makes it unappealing to everybody, even the pioneer group. The detrimental factors all 'push' away those who might gentrify the area.
Consequences of Gentrification
No one is more vulnerable to the effects of gentrification than renters. When prices go up, tenants are pushed out. When buildings are sold, buyers often evict the existing tenants to move in themselves, combine several units, or bring in new tenants at a higher rate. When residents own their homes, they are less vulnerable.
The economic effects of gentrification vary widely, but the arrival of new investment, new spending power, and a new tax base usually result in significant increased economic activity. Rehabilitation, of housing development, new shops and restaurants, and new, higher-wage jobs. Previous residents may benefit from some of this development, particularly in the form of service sector and construction jobs, but it might be difficult to achieve due to the well- educated newcomers. Also in industries employing new local workers maybe taken as a social or environmental hazard by the new arrivals. Local shops may shut down due to the new arrivals wanting to build posh boutiques and restaurants.
Physical changes also accompany gentrification. Older buildings are rehabilitated and new construction occurs. Public improvements — to streets, parks, and infrastructure — may accompany government revitalization efforts or occur as new residents organize to demand public services. As a result new arrivals often demand to improve the district and may change standards through their own guidelines, historic preservation legislation and use of laws.
The social, economic, and physical impacts of gentrification often result in serious political conflict, worsened by differences in race, class, and culture. Earlier residents may feel tormented, ignored, and excluded from their own communities. Therefore new arrivals are bombarded with accusations that their efforts to improve local culture are taken as hostile and even racist.
Change — in fortunes, in populations, in the physical fabric of communities — is an abiding feature of urban life. But change nearly always involves winners and losers, and low-income people are rarely the winners. The effects of gentrification vary widely with the particular local circumstances. Residents, community development corporations, and city governments across the country are struggling to manage these inevitable changes to create a win-win situation for everyone involved.
