03-20-2022, 02:52 PM
The past four decades, possibly even five, have been a time of increasing inequality. Few issues pack the emotional punch more than does urban gentrification. The pluses include revival of once God-forsaken neighborhoods within our cities. This leads to lower crime rates and better safety. But the big minuses are lead by the forced displacement of long-time residents who can no longer afford to stay in their homes. Emotions often get the best of those especially on the losing side of the gentrification equation.
Such is part and parcel of a vast upscaling trend which began in earnest with the arrival of the Yuppies during the middle third of the 1980s. And even though by 1987 it became just as fashionable to bash Yuppies as it had been to be one, the damage had pretty well be done as gentrification on their behalf had transformed many urban neighborhoods to be unrecognizable by those who hadn't been in or to them for some time. By most liberal estimates those who fit the Yuppie demographic of the time amounted to no more than 7 percent of the population. Wannabes may have increased the total to around 20 percent, yet the craze was so vast that anywhere from 80 to 93 percent were basically treated as outcasts.
Boomers who during their youth were very vocal in denouncing the trapping of wealth and privilege suddenly took such to a whole other level. IOW a significant number ending up becoming everything they had previously ridiculed and then some. And even though the Yuppie craze only lasted about a third of a decade the trend toward upscaling of damn near everything has continued as many more areas have gentrified more in recent years. In Chicago I would say that now at least 20 percent of the city has been retrofitted as to displace not only people but the more modest restaurants and shops that were there previously. Harsh words have been spoken about the negative effects of such retrofitting and yet the march toward more and more seems to continue. There still are some areas of the city where there is gang warfare and are relatively impoverished, but most of these areas though aren't quite as God-forsaken as they once were. The south suburbs of Harvey and Chicago Heights have much more dilapidation than these areas do. Said to be starving for investment but the poor residents remain fearful that if even a Starbucks were to open up shop, gentrification and displacement won't be far behind.
Why has the upscaling trend continued despite the fact of over 60 percent of the populace living paycheck to paycheck?
Such is part and parcel of a vast upscaling trend which began in earnest with the arrival of the Yuppies during the middle third of the 1980s. And even though by 1987 it became just as fashionable to bash Yuppies as it had been to be one, the damage had pretty well be done as gentrification on their behalf had transformed many urban neighborhoods to be unrecognizable by those who hadn't been in or to them for some time. By most liberal estimates those who fit the Yuppie demographic of the time amounted to no more than 7 percent of the population. Wannabes may have increased the total to around 20 percent, yet the craze was so vast that anywhere from 80 to 93 percent were basically treated as outcasts.
Boomers who during their youth were very vocal in denouncing the trapping of wealth and privilege suddenly took such to a whole other level. IOW a significant number ending up becoming everything they had previously ridiculed and then some. And even though the Yuppie craze only lasted about a third of a decade the trend toward upscaling of damn near everything has continued as many more areas have gentrified more in recent years. In Chicago I would say that now at least 20 percent of the city has been retrofitted as to displace not only people but the more modest restaurants and shops that were there previously. Harsh words have been spoken about the negative effects of such retrofitting and yet the march toward more and more seems to continue. There still are some areas of the city where there is gang warfare and are relatively impoverished, but most of these areas though aren't quite as God-forsaken as they once were. The south suburbs of Harvey and Chicago Heights have much more dilapidation than these areas do. Said to be starving for investment but the poor residents remain fearful that if even a Starbucks were to open up shop, gentrification and displacement won't be far behind.
Why has the upscaling trend continued despite the fact of over 60 percent of the populace living paycheck to paycheck?