The Fall of Harlem: How Gentrification and the Lack of Affordable Housing Has Affected the Neighborhood of Harlem
Reflection:
Alva
For this project, I did a lot of background history and data research for East Harlem area in New York. New York City is a fast-growing city. Because of residents’ needs for more and more housing in this such small space, the government has to develop other areas which are close to New York City. “An inch of land values an inch of gold.” I know it’s hard to keep the house price low in East Harlem, but households in East Harlem have a median annual income of $31,628, which is less than the median annual income in the United States. I think the government should understand that houses should be affordable for local residents. The houses should be priced based on average household annual income. I also learned the history of East Harlem’s gentrification. I can feel the sadness and helplessness of local residents and really hope there is something we can do to help them and this great place.
Angel
This project has taught me a lot about New York City as an international student living and studying here for the first time. Gentrification and city development has never been my forte and this was a good opportunity to learn about the subject in relation to New York. My main source of research for the project was a variety of websites and research articles. From those, I learned about the system and its long history. I thought it was very interesting particularly how the history of Harlem gentrification went way back into the 1800s. We decided we would focus on the historical aspect of the system to represent the wicked problem that was associated with gentrification and Harlem. The time aspect not only emphasizes how long this issue has been going on but also does a good job of conveying an emotional story to the viewer. Through the critic however, I now know that although the poster contains a lot of knowledge and facts, there is not enough of our own perspective and opinions on the subject. It’s not convincing the viewer that gentrification is a wicked problem but instead, just stating it. It might also have been that this general subject was very broad, and our group focused too much on educating the viewer and not as much as the direction of a solution. Although learning about this problem was very eye opening, the quotes and statements from Harlem residents were also quite interesting. I was not present during the interview but the statements were intricate enough that I felt the emotions behind the words. Some other things that classmates gave us as feedback were making and highlighting the important parts of the poster to stand out and have bigger contrast between the text and the background.
Ahmrii
The neighborhood of Harlem specifically, has had a long wrought history of gentrification and to this day the community is seeking to manage the effects. The issues of weak integration and the resulting form of gentrification that Harlem experienced dating back to the era of reconstruction (1863 – 1877) after the Civil War has created the lasting struggles that Harlem residents are currently enduring. Homelessness throughout Harlem is a tragic result of the decades of discrimination, corruption in city networks, and population variances due to migration that constructed the act of gentrification. Various increases in the cost of living in Harlem allowed for those from suburban areas who can afford the costs to move in , push out the original residents and expand the region of middle and upper class living. Unfortunately, those who could not afford the raises in price usually could not afford the prices in any of the surrounding areas or transportation to travel elsewhere. This historical chain of systems and socioeconomic effects all contribute to the condition of Harlem, and various neighborhoods across the nation. Fortunately, in New York groups like FUREE and Picture the homelessness have set out blueprints for truly affordable, democratic, and achievable forms of housing, which politicians are beginning to take notice.
