Sign of frustration / Image by@msg flickr

One of the blogs I follow is by Greg Heller an architect urban planner who I just think of as the “Ed Bacon guy.” That was my first encounter with him when he created the Ed Bacon Foundation. I bring this up, because he’s written a thoughtful essay on his blog Urban Direction about why gentrification does not have to price people out of their own neighborhoods.

However, it seems to me that this cannot be an either/or equation. It simply does not make good sense that the only way to maintain a community is by halting any new projects. We have to find a way to make it possible to improve our communities while also avoiding the negative impacts of gentrification. Gentrification is a real issue. It has to do with people’s ability to afford to stay in their homes, maintain their businesses, and enjoy the culture of their community. However, often what gentrification foes attack are the cosmetic elements that have nothing to do with these concerns.

He goes on to suggest a number of things that can us find this middle ground. I like his idea of trying to target the city’s tax abatement program for affordable housing. He has another idea that calls for freezing property tax increases on low income residents’ homes until they sell.

I’ll let you and Greg debate whether his ideas are financially realistic, but if you have ever wondered why some residents can so vehemently oppose a Starbucks or luxury condo project his article will help you understand what’s just beneath the surface.