While we were watching the documentary San Francisco, the whole situation of gentrification reminded me of the Lorax. In the Lorax, a greedy businessman decides to set up shop in a forest making Thneeds out of truffula trees, a key plant in the area. And while his invention makes people in the cities' lives better, his business gets out of control. He is destroying the habitat of the species that live there, like the bears, birds, and fish. The animals are forced out of their homes and into a nomadic lifestyle.
This is like the situation with gentrification in San Francisco. Tech developers have stumbled upon an area rich with living availability, history, and culture. They start with a few simple firms, which bring money into the area. However, then the dot com boom happens, and people and companies flood into the city. Yes, they are creating influential companies like Lyft, 23&me, and Paypal, but they are moving in at the cost of the locals. People that have grown up there and have familial ties to the city are forced to move out of their generational homes and into cheaper surrounding areas. Yes, money is being brought into the area, but at what cost? Are a few artisan coffeeshops worth the homelessness of the thousands of people being evicted?
However, like the Lorax, there are ways to restore communities while encouraging economic growth. In an article by Everyday Feminism, such ways to protect communities are touched upon such as saving public entities (public parks, libraries, and schools) so the low-income locals can still have access to them and implementing affordable housing so people won't have to be evicted. Some other ways include prioritizing local-owned businesses, such as mom-and-pop grocery stores, which may be the only sources of income for some people and encouraging investments into the community itself instead of just encouraging people from other, wealthier parts to come in and take over. Invest in the community members and the existing businesses. They create jobs, which will boost economic growth, and are a key part of the area's culture. Also, preserve the murals that were painted by community members in response to their struggles.
We must do this because, in the words of the Lorax, "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
https://everydayfeminism.com/2017/07/fight-gentrification-for-community/
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/886002-the-lorax
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I love the analogy between San Francisco 2.0 and the Lorax! I think the Lorax does exemplify a lot of what is happening today like you said about gentrification as well as the environment. While some of the proposed solutions may seem ideal, I think that it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible to do. To have investments into the community itself would mean that people who invest will have to hold the same values as the community. Also, where would these investors come from? and why will they be willing to give over money, not have much input in those existing businesses, and not really gain anything from them.
ReplyDeleteI love this analogy, and I really enjoy how you didn't just state the problem but tried to find and explain solutions. I think that it's important to support local people and businesses, and creating community, and I agree that it's super important to preserve the art and culture all around the city or in any other cities. And fantastic quote use at the end. I think this way of explaining gentrification is easier to understand and will help to introduce people to the concept.
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ReplyDeleteI appreciate the solutions you gave in this to face the problem. I wonder how these can be presented in a way that appeals to the audience of infiltrators. How do we help the problem want to preserve the community, what incentives can we offer? I also appreciate the comparison you made, it helps all readers understand the point you are making.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you connected the Lorax with San Francisco 2.0. It's important to preserve the culture within a community, however often, many are willing to sacrifice that for a more modern look. The main issue is what incentives we can offer to keep the community together, maintain rent prices, yet increase economic growth.
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