Quote:
Originally Posted by planarchy
Moloney spells out the specifics: according to the 2006 census , there are 1,300 households in the couple of blocks either side of Gottingen from Cogswell to North Streets. Coop Atlantic brought projections showing that a 10,000 square foot grocery store could turn over $5 million worth of product annually with 2,100 members, so long as half of them bought all their groceries at the store.
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I wish this sort of analysis would get more attention. Few people seem to make the connection between densities, economic vitality, and the overall well-being of neighbourhoods.
Back in the 1960s Gottingen was still a poor area but it was in better shape because it still had enough people. More recently the area has fallen apart because it has low densities and low incomes that cannot sustain local businesses. Many of the remaining residents cannot afford a car and cannot afford to move so they are trapped in an area with limited employment and services. If there were more residents, wealthy or not, there would be more opportunities for the current inhabitants. Their standard of living would likely improve significantly.
Concerns about gentrification and displacement are somewhat theoretical at this point. In any case there are many potential solutions to this perceived issue that are much better than stifling new development.
Unfortunately according to the 2006 census the tract centred around Gottingen from Cornwallis to North lost people (4,699 from 4,943), as did the tract north of North. It seems safe to say that this has reversed but it's important to look at hard data. Perceptions are often totally wrong. People see some construction sites on their way to work and think the city is booming. Meanwhile, they ignore the other 98% of the city that is slowly declining.