Quote:
Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown
This narrative is exhausting.
No one is "switching" anyone anywhere in Philadelphia.
There's room for all of us.
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I think there is a lot more overlap between what you just said and what justremember wrote than you think. Maybe 'rearranging the furniture' isn't the perfect analogy, but there's no denying that while many parts of the city (particularly the dense parts) are gentrifying, there's also parts of the city and inner-ring suburbs, that from a high-level view, are declining and at best stagnate. You correctly point out people are bouncing from these areas. But this is absolutely not a new phenomenon, working class black and white philadelphians have been leaving for generations when the opportunity arises.
The thing that has changed over time is where people are leaving from. And in that regard, I can see the "rearranging the furniture" angle. However, I think everyone can agree that improving the Q-O-L of these areas, investing in them, cleaning them up, fixing old houses, etc. is a good idea.
I also agree the "gentrification is the cause of problems" is not just exhaustive, but a straight up lie told by people who have realized that if you just say "progressive" things over and over again, you can stay in power. A lot of people, and this goes for people on the left and right and everywhere in between, view social issues (like gentrification) in a generalized way, instead of on a case by case basis. You just cannot tell that gentrification in DC = gentrification in NYC = gentrification in Boston = gentrification in Philadelphia, and that the blanket "answer to gentrification" is simply stone-walling NIMBYISM. Stone-walling NIMBYISM may very well be the best course of action in a supremely wealthy smaller city like Boston. Rent control very well make sense in Manhattan, the most desired and successful business center in the world. A wealth tax in SF with the "highest per capita of millionaires in the world" very well make sense to fund social programs. But guess what? the City of Philadelphia is not any of those places and is not in a great position to just be implementing new taxes, down-zoning commerical corridors, rent-controlling random neighborhoods, etc
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