Introduction
Gentrification is a massive phenomenon that affects many modern cities in advanced countries. However, although the process of this phenomenon leads to reconstruction, the methods used threaten the life of the inhabitants of the block. Thus, gentrification is best described by severe economic instability followed by changes in the area’s population (Sutton, 2020). This paper aims to review the challenges that gentrification brings to Harlem, NYC, and explore the proposed solutions through SWOT analysis.
Discussion
The most noticeable manifestation of this phenomenon is the significant increase in the cost of housing. As Versey (2018) demonstrates, most Harlem residents surveyed knew people who were forced to move due to increased prices. These people had low incomes, and this phenomenon has the most impact on the working class, who cannot live in the reconstructed area due to the changed costs. While Versey’s (2018) study did not show that Harlem’s gentrification increases homelessness, the lives of many poor and vulnerable residents are significantly worsened. These groups include older people who are at risk of social and economic exclusion.
In addition, gentrification significantly affects the area’s economic and social life. On the one hand, attracting new investments to Harlem provides an opportunity to create new jobs. However, the possibility of their creation is due to the disappearance of up to 71 traditional enterprises, which makes room for new investments, but affects almost a thousand workers. (Gørrild et al., n.d.). Gentrification also threatens the educational process, as the relocation of families will reduce school enrollment (Mordechay & Ayscue, 2019). Finally, the most striking problem in the context of Harlem is the change in the racial composition.
This area of Manhattan is famous for its black population, which significantly influenced the entire African American culture as part of the Harlem Renaissance. From this perspective, Harlem is a cultural center, and its existence without an African American population is impossible. However, recent research shows that even middle-income African Americans face the need to relocate (Sutton, 2020). Thus, this phenomenon poses a threat to African-American culture in general.
Several programs and proposals are aimed at combating the identified problems. To protect the older generation, it is proposed to organize specialized senior centers already planned by the New York administration (Versey, 2018). This approach has significant strength in the form of legislative support, which can significantly influence the situation with the relocation of the older generation. However, this requires the accountability of policymakers, which can become an internal weakness due to their inability to respond to existing problems quickly. Opportunities are represented by various external social organizations that use their influence to attract the necessary attention. The threat to this initiative is characterized by large business companies that can realize their interests in Harlem with the help of corporate power.
Since this approach only targets the senior population, it is not very effective, as shown by the SWOT analysis. An alternative option is to increase the education and organization of the residents of Harlem themselves to resist gentrification (Williams, 2020). The strength of such an initiative is the propensity of the working population and especially African Americans to jointly defend their rights. However, the weakness is the need for a significant increase in economic and social education, which is insufficient for the target audience. Community organizations such as the Community Movement Builders and Right to the City can help deal with this as positive external opportunities (Williams, 2020). In this context, the threat remains the same, in the form of various corporations, but external risks are significantly reduced with the support of social movements.
Conclusion
Therefore, the gentrification of Harlem is a potentially dangerous process that can change the area’s economic, social, and cultural life if left unchecked. There are a limited number of decisions and initiatives that can change the course of events. However, as the SWOT analysis showed, the involvement of civil society organizations, education, and the formation of organized resistance from the working class can significantly reduce the dangers of gentrification. This option is the most promising and effective in this context due to its substantial positive aspects.
References
Gørrild, M., Obialo, S., & Venema, N. (n.d.). Gentrification and displacement in Harlem: How the Harlem community lost its voice en route to progress.Humanity in Action. Web.
Mordechay, K., & Ayscue, J. B. (2019). How gentrification by urban millennials improves public school diversity.Bloomberg. Web.
Sutton, S. (2020). Gentrification and the increasing significance of racial transition in New York City 1970–2010. Urban Affairs Review, 56(1), 65-95.
Versey, H. S. (2018). A tale of two Harlems: Gentrification, social capital, and implications for aging in place. Social Science & Medicine, 214, 1-11.
Williams, M. (2020). Gentrification doesn’t have to force minority residents out of their homes. Activists say there are 3 ways to protect communities. The Insider. Web.