Posts tagged Gentrification
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Gentrification in DC isn’t just a black and white issue
Most conventional debates over gentrification in DC position the process as one that replaces long-time black residents with newer, wealthier white residents. Given the context, this framing makes sense: DC has a well-established black middle class and a wealth of black history. However, the reality is a bit more complex — and diverse. Keep reading…
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With more choice, DC families are unlinking their housing and school decisions
In a new report from the DC Policy Center, school-aged populations and school enrollment in the District’s neighborhoods are ‘decoupling.’ In other words, the availability in public school choice in the District has increased the number of children that attend a school in their neighborhood. Keep reading…
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Why do homeless encampments persist? Unsheltered people weigh in.
The underpasses at K, L, and M Streets in the NoMa area of Northeast DC give off an unpleasant odor. Put bluntly, they reek of urine. And the rotting piles of garbage strewn up and down their sidewalks do little to mask the smell. Keep reading…
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Gentrification is beneficial on average, studies say. That doesn’t mean it’s not painful for some.
Newly-released research found that gentrification produces mostly positive effects for original lower-income residents, but that doesn’t mean there are no losers. Rather, neighborhood change is far more complex than the typical narratives let on, and there are a lot of ways to decipher and judge its effects on individuals. Keep reading…
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Sex workers struggle to find housing in DC. A bill to decriminalize their job can help.
Sex workers face stigma, legal penalties, and police violence in the District, and one of the impacts is that many have trouble finding a place to live. That’s one of the reasons why a coalition of DC sex workers and supporters are pushing a bill to reduce criminal penalties for consensually exchanging sex for money. Keep reading…
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Housing is a queer issue: DC dykes plan to march against displacement
The Dyke March, a grassroots march for queer liberation led by self-identifying dykes, first started in the District in 1993. It subsequently spread to major cities in North America and the UK, but fizzled out in DC. Now local organizers are bringing it back to the District on June 7 after a more than decade-long hiatus, and their inaugural theme is “Dykes Against Displacement.” Keep reading…
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National links: 25 years later, the ‘chunnel’ has transformed travel in Europe
On its 25th birthday, here's a look at how the “chunnel” changed Europe. First-time homebuyers in Houston are competing with algorith-armed hedge funds. Da Vinci was proposing mixed-use development and other modern planning practices 500 years ahead of his time. Keep reading…
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National links: The availability of shade is an important measure of equity
The availability of shade—think trees and bus shelters—isn't equitably distributed in cities like Los Angeles. Mexico's Bus Rapid Transit is a success story. Atlanta, long known for being car-centric, may install a Dutch-style “woonerf” to create the “Time Square of the South.” Keep reading…
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To start addressing displacement, let’s start with better reporting on gentrification
A recent National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) study confirms what everyone living here can feel: Washington, DC, has gentrified more intensely than any other city. It’s great that our paper of record is reporting on this kind of research, but the Post and other local outlets need to step up their game. Keep reading…
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Urbanist Villain of the Week: The Shay resident who killed go-go music in Shaw
A MetroPCS store at 7th Street and Florida Avenue NW in DC has been playing go-go music on outdoor speakers since 1995. Now, it's stopped after a resident of a new, fancy apartment building complained. Keep reading…