For John, BLUF: What does the future hold; and how do we get there?
Under the title "demographics and a little math" Kad Barma talks to income distribution in Lowell.♠ This is important stuff as we visualize what Lowell will be in twenty years or forty years. I have had this view that the Downtown would become gentrified and thus attract a lot of neat boutique like shops♥ and great restaurants. The kinds of people I am thinking of are my friend Sandi, who used to live in Mass Mills, the anthropologist Pat and Kad and Greg Page. Not rich, but with enough disposable income to attract businesses to Downtown Lowell.
In particular, I think that a thriving downtown Lowell will strengthen all the neighborhoods, but a decaying downtown will sap the surrounding neighborhoods.
Here is another look at the situation.
But, back to the "blow-in" thing, I guess I don't care, if the person using the term smiles. This is the line from The Virginian, shown in this short clip from the 1929 version of the movie.
Regards — Cliff
♠ Yes, as part of the divorce settlement, his Ex took the "Shift" keys from his keyboard.
♥ From the Dictionary: "1 a small store selling fashionable clothes or accessories. 2 a business that serves a sophisticated or specialized clientele." I was thinking more definition 2.
Cliff, I'm going to be a pain in the butt about something here. For whatever reason, I've heard the topic of 'gentrification in downtown Lowell' come up three times in the past few days in conversations.
ReplyDeleteFrom the ever-reliable Wiki (in quotes, then back to me): "Urban gentrification often involves population migration as poor residents of a neighborhood are displaced. In a community undergoing gentrification, the average income increases and average family size decreases. This generally results in the displacement of the poorer, pre-gentrification residents, who are unable to pay increased rents, and property taxes, or afford real estate..Often, resident owners unable to pay the taxes are forced to sell their residences and move to a cheaper community."
Gentrification implies someone being pushed out, whereas urban renewal can be more broadly applied to a place just getting nicer. Along with the big myth about the martini-sippers, which Kad has wonderfully slayed with numbers to back him up, the second big myth 'round here is the idea that gentrification is going on. It ain't. No one was pushed out of the downtown mill buildings since the workers themselves were given pink slips.
I grant Greg Page his point, but I think of Urban Renewal as destruction of old properties and the building of public housing—Cabrini Green like structures.
ReplyDeleteGranted, no one is being pushed out in Downtown Lowell. But, there are mills to be converted into homes. But, for whom?
Calling Adam Baake.
Regards — Cliff