Heritage and Gentrification
Kar Yue Gabrielle Leung
Gentrification is the process of demographic changes in a specific
area. It is defined as the process of the wealthier moving in to an existing
urban area causing a related increase in monetary items, such as rents and
property values and changes the district’s culture and character (Grant, 2003).
There is a general idea where gentrification causes undesirable
outcomes, such as demolish current heritage and causes the poor to leave the
districts since the rent no longer is affordable. It can be seen as negative or
causing a destruction to the original community. However, is it just a general impression of
gentrification?
Before gentrification took place, Howe, Nichol, and Davison
mentioned that Christian describes Subiaco is a party suburb, where the living
environment is poor, crowded, however; the community was close to each other, a
lot of bits and pieces were happening here and there (2014). After gentrification,
Christian describes that the dormitory part is less lively, but neater (Howe,
Nichol, & Davison, 2014). From the readings, it makes me wonder whether it
is a gentrification or trendification. In this paper, I would like to discuss whether
gentrification or trendification took place and the relationship between these
two terms and how
effective that the solutions regarding to
gentrification.
Trendification emphasizes on the social and cultural factors rather
than the movement of demographic changes (Howe et al., 2014). Discussion below
will be using Carlton, one of the inner suburbs in Melbourne as an example.
Carlton was a socially diverse community with a mixture of social
classes, where the wealthier family moved in during the 1890s and a scale of
demolition and redevelopment took during the early twentieth century (Yule, 2004).
The social profile change leads to a rise in the prices of property and the
forms of property. According to the definition mentioned above, it is an
evidence of gentrification. However, Logan argued that it is more of a global
phenomenon of trendification where new and young renting population and its
daily spending habit and styles in household decoration (1985).
The changes in Carlton can be assessed in two aspects including demographically
and socially.
From a demographical aspect, referring to Yule, it was the higher
income group from the Yarra side took place and replaced the working class
in terms of housing (2004). It is an undeniable historical fact. The higher
income group is mostly well educated with a steady, from medium to high income.
The reason why they move to Carlton is due to the proximity to the city, where it is
near to their workplace. However, the fact also shows that there is a
trend where the population is made up of a younger age group. According to City
of Melbourne, the median age is 25, which is mostly young adults. Since the inner city often being presented with a
trendy image where all the old houses being abandoned with graffiti on, which young
adult like to stay around and enjoy the atmosphere in it. Thus, Logan’s
argument is partially sound.
Figure 1. Showing the street views of Carlton (Google Map,
2015)
In terms of social, Carlton has always been a mixed culture
community till now. However, can it be argued that it is the local daily
spending habit and styles in household that took place
instead of gentrification? Carlton was once manufacturing based, however, till
a later time, it has established its own iconic serving industry by opening
restaurants and cafes. The distinctive locality has been shown through
these businesses, such as, Lygon Street. The immigrants have injected these localities
to the community from the Western Europe. This changes the local daily
spending, from manufacturing or grocery to mainly servicing. However, without
gentrification, there is no way that the café can stand the high rent and the
customers will be the working class instead of the wealthier ones, which allow
the industry to survive till now.
There is no absolute answer to whether Carlton went through either
gentrification or trendification. From the above analysis, we can arrive to a
conclusion that trendification did took place, however, gentrification serves
as a base to allow trendification to carry on.
Gentrification often takes place in the inner suburbs where it forces the
poor to move out, an absurd rose in property price and causes a loss of
distinctive locality characteristics. It is undeniably that all the above has
been proved as fact, however, are there any solutions to fix the issues stated
above and to what extent are they effective?
Take Hong Kong as an example, Wan Chai is
an inner city area where it is located right next to the Central Business District. Due to its proximity to the city and government’s redevelopment
project being implemented in this area, where tenement buildings are being
forced to pull down and replaced with high-rise residential apartments. This does
not only force the elderly to leave the area but causes
destruction towards the locality. However, can compensation to be made and how
effective are these measurements?
In terms of households, for the elderly who lost their
home, compensation is made by the developers or government in order to assist
them with finding a new home. Public housing is another option to provide for
families who have difficulties in purchasing property. To a smaller extent that is effective as elderlies
not only consider Wan Chai as their home but also emotionally attached to the
surroundings, where money or another shelter can only solve their basic needs
as a shelter.
In terms of local characteristics, within the area, Lee Tung Street
which is originally famous for its printing business in wedding invitation cards was being forced to clear out due to development of high rise residential
buildings. In order to keep the local characteristics and also allowing the tenants
to continue their business, the government identified another
street near to Lee Tung Street to keep the distinctive characteristics and
allow the tenants to continue the business where the rent is slightly cheaper
than the market price. To a large extent that it is effective since the
locality and traditional business can be carried on and also the tenants can
actually afford to pay the rent despite how high is the market price.
Figure 2. Showing the street view of Lee Tung Street(Wedding Invitation
Street) before relocation (Lee Tung Street/ McGregor Street Project, n.d.)
Figure 3. Showing the
site after relocation of Wedding Invitation Street (Bluebalu, 2015)
These are the possible compensation, where it allows the local
characteristics being sustained and replacement of houses being provided to the
one who lost them due to gentrification.
In conclusion, this paper has analyzed the relationship between
gentrification and trendification where it can be found that gentrification is
the base for trendification and the recompense to the community that is being
affected by gentrification.
Reference
Bluebalu. (2015). Sunny Days in Hong Kong. Retrieved 14 May, 2015,
from http://bluebalu.com/2015/04/30/sunny-days-in-hong-kong/
City of Melbourne (2015). Carlton,
Small Area Profile A Snapshot. Retrieved 13 May 2015, from http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/AboutMelbourne/Statistics/Documents/Demographic_population_Infographic_carlton.pdf
Google Earth (2015).
Interactive map. Retrieved 14 May, 2015, from
https://www.google.com/earth/explore/products/plugin.html
Grant, B. (2015). What is
Gentrification?. Retrieved 13 May 2015, from
http://www.pbs.org/pov/flagwars/special_gentrification.php
Howe, R., Nichols, D. & Davison, G. (2014). Gentrification and
Trendification. Trendyville: the Battle
for Australian Inner Cities. Clayton: Monash Univeristy Publishing.
Logan, W. (1985). The gentrification
of Inner Melbourne: a political geography of inner city housing. St. Lucia,
QLD: University of Queensland Press.
URA Project Photos (n.d.). Lee Tung Street/ McGregor Street Project.
Retrieved 13 May 2015,
from http://webacademy.urec.org.hk/en/7/7_3_wc_3.html
Yule, P. (2004). Carlton: A History.
Carlton VIC: Melbourne University Publishing.
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