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| dc.contributor.author | Thomas, Nikita | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-04-27T15:25:04Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-04-27T15:25:04Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-04-27 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10429/2443 | |
| dc.description | The broad area of this thesis pertains to understanding a loss of culture due to the process of gentrification; how it affects a neighborhood and its residents, and what can be done to prevent negative outcomes. Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents & businesses. It often results in a decrease in crime rates and neighborhood vacancy, and an increase in jobs. However, this process often leads to a loss of cultural identity, increased rent and tax rates, and often forces the displacement of residents, making this a concept that needs severe regulations to mitigate these long term negative effects. The process of gentrification was given its name in 1964 by Ruth Glass. As defined by Glass; gentrification is the transformation of a poor neighborhood in cities by the process of middle- and upper-income groups buying properties in such neighborhoods and upgrading them. History shows that major contributors to the displacement of people due to gentrification come from the loss of rent-controlled apartment buildings, rezoning, and natural disasters. Displacement is a common repercussion of neighborhood change as the built environment gets updates or renovations which in turn increase the prices of rent. Many residents are no longer able to afford to pay for the place they live and are forced to leave. There are several different types of displacement that can occur; direct displacement, indirect displacement, and for those residents who are able to stay in their home, they often experience the third form of displacement which is cultural displacement. This is a feeling of dislocation among the residents’ new surroundings as new developments go in, as well as a disconnect from seeing their neighbors who are forced to leave and who are then replaced with the new residents who are moving into their neighborhood. There are several policies in place that help prevent these things from happening such as; property tax freezes, neighborhood and senior home protections, and rent control in some cities. However, these policies are oftentimes not enough to stop the spread of gentrification throughout cities. This research will have a specific approach to determine how to predict neighborhood change and use design tactics alongside policy and zoning strategies to prevent a neighborhood from experiencing the negative effects of displacement or the loss of culture. The term neighborhood change will be used in context of this thesis investigation to indicate a neighborhood that has had aesthetic, economical, and infrastructural improvements. The strategies implemented will attempt to redesign the neighborhood through the celebration of existing culture while working with the current neighborhood to prevent any previous residents being forced to relocate. Understanding the displacement that gentrification often causes is crucial to developing a framework around successful neighborhood change. From this research, expected outcomes include a total understanding of the timeline of gentrification; its phases and aesthetics, the different dimensions that this concept of neighborhood change has such as policies and the invisible set of data that changes along with the built environment, and a comparative analysis of several gentrified locations to understand how different contexts force gentrification to act differently. In addition, the examination of failed neighborhoods along with successful neighborhoods will allow a better understanding of how to create a successful framework for neighborhoods across the country. This research is relevant in today’s world due to a high percentage of displacement due to gentrification. For example, in Washington D.C., about 20 neighborhoods have been gentrified with its residents being forced into relocation. About 15.3% of this country consists of vacant homes (Huisache), and with the proper knowledge of how gentrification works and how to avoid its negative effects, vacant lots can be reactivated to improve the quality of life for residents surrounding empty lots. There are cases of neighborhood change that have been successful without displacement, thanks to the involvement of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (L.I.S.C.) which is a non-profit community development financial institution that supports community development initiatives across the country. The L.I.S.C. ensured that the intervention included working with local entities to guarantee that residents are not forced into relocation. In order to create a framework for neighborhood change that follows a guide that is both strict with its ideals but flexible in context, extensive participatory research and analysis of currently gentrified cities must be done to establish a current criteria for what works and what does not to prevent the displacement of individuals. Some questions that are answered through this research are which precedent studies exemplify successful and failed neighborhood change? Who are the major players who act within the timeline of gentrification? What are the different pressures that are applied to neighborhoods before they become gentrified? How can these pressures be resisted? To answer these questions, qualitative measures are used such as, before and after photos of neighborhood change, mapping of these areas, direct in-person observations, and field notes. Evidence of these processes will be collected from relevant books and articles as well as quantitative data driven mapping and the analysis of population stats to help me along with my research. An analysis of existing conditions to find out what went wrong and what went right will allow for a stronger strategy based off of these analyses. In the future for this thesis, an unobtrusive survey of affected neighborhoods will allow a better understanding of how neighborhood change affects its residents, and a discussion with communities about how they want to see their surroundings transformed will push forth a strategy for culturally sensitive design for neighborhood change. | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | This thesis investigates loss of culture in the Detroit area through methods of aesthetic analysis and what processes lead to this loss. The issue of cultural loss has been identified through defining culture, cultural identity, as well as the process of cultural displacement. It is highlighted in research by Jeremy Nemeth that gentrification is often the cause of this cultural loss seen in urban areas (Rigolon, Nemeth), though the concept of gentrification is not the focus of this thesis. There is an identifiable aesthetic that is seen in places that have experienced a loss of culture. Methods to showcase how the built environment changes before and after highlight not just how the buildings are modified, but how the businesses change as well as the sidewalks and roads, if more street lights are added, or if more public space is made available. The issue with these changing aesthetics is that these neighborhoods are transformed into a standardized version of what was there before, all beginning to look alike. The research continues by exploring multiple sites that have experienced drastic neighborhood changes to get a better understanding of what parts of this process took place in a positive way and what worked negatively against these communities. Methods employed by this study included the focus on three corridors in Detroit; Livernois, West Village, and Islandview. This study establishes a comparative analysis of changes over time, with focus on the shifts in the aesthetics of the neighborhoods, how the cultural aspects of a place are impacted and the shifts in how a sense of place is lost over time, as well as a change in demographics. Other methods used include analyzing a positive case study in Minnesota and on Livernois to see how these practices can go right. Outcomes of the study allow for the identification of strategies to support cultural identity of the focus neighborhoods as well as the implementation of some aspects of this strategy in a corridor within Highland Park, Michigan. This investigation yielded an overall understanding of the process of a loss of culture among various urban sites as well as the identification of the complexity that this process creates to define actionable tactics for future culturally sensitive, community driven and sustainable urban development. | en_US |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | en_US |
| dc.subject | Culture | en_US |
| dc.subject | Neighborhood Analysis | en_US |
| dc.subject | Gentrification | en_US |
| dc.subject | Cultural Identity | en_US |
| dc.subject | Neighborhood Change | en_US |
| dc.subject | Culturally Sensitive Strategy | en_US |
| dc.subject | Detroit, Michigan | en_US |
| dc.subject | Standardization | en_US |
| dc.subject | Cultural Displacement | en_US |
| dc.subject | Aesthetic Analysis | en_US |
| dc.subject | Loss of Culture | en_US |
| dc.title | The Erosion of Culture | en_US |
| dc.title.alternative | Analyzing Neighborhood Conditions for Culturally Rich Alternatives | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
