Catalog / A Primer on Gentrification in Portland zine

A Primer on Gentrification in Portland zine 16 pages, b&w, digest (2 oz) $1.00

The process of gentrification, where disadvantaged, low-income neighborhoods transform into "nicer", upper-income neighborhoods, has become a hot topic in Portland. The rapid changes that have happened to Alberta St. and Mississippi Ave. in the past years, and that are starting to see shape in such far flung places as Foster Rd. and St. Johns are all part of a larger process of disinvestment and reinvestment. This zine lays down the basics on what gentrification is, who causes it, who benefits from it, how the process works, and gives us a few ideas on how to curb it. Essential if you live in Portland (or for that matter, any North American city) and are conscious about what's happening.

 
It's rough because the economics are stacked against you. I love living in poorer neighborhoods mostly because there are no uptight neighborhood organizations curbing noise & making it harder to drink or do graffiti on the streets. What needs to be done is a separation between the economics & the culture that one is going after. If you can at first agree what kind of a neighborhood you want it to be, then you can begin organizing around making this happen. The economics should come after that initial agreement. Unfortunately, this is rare & most often, because this is America, economics come first. Sean P. Aaberg
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