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Fighting gentrification: discussion and presentation
Kraakgroep Oosterparkbuurt - 11.09.2007 13:28
*************Fighting gentrification****************
What is gentrification? How do people fight against it? What are the alternatives to gentrification?
A presentation by, and debate with, Tom Slater.
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‘t Blijvertje, Derde Oosterparkstraat 64h, Amsterdam, 18 September 2007, 20.30
An activity organized by the Amsterdam working group of international housing activists
 The paper “The eviction of critical perspectives” by Tom Slater -
The paper “Gentrification as a global strategy” by Neil Smith -
A play of words
Tom Slater
One possible strategy...
‘Gentrification’ is a popular term for housing activists outside the Netherlands. No other concept seems to capture so well the class dimension of housing politics since gentrification refers very directly to the transformation of working class neighborhoods into higher class neighborhoods. And yet Dutch housing activists rarely talk about gentrification. They either do not know about the concept or they consider it too vague and too academic to describe the grim realities of neoliberal urban policies.
However, this evening’s presentation is based on the premise that we have a lot to learn from research on gentrification. We will examine the different guises of gentrification in different parts of the world. In Istanbul gentrification is sometimes achieved by bulldozing illegalized settlements and in Amsterdam it is often done with a bit more subtlety through splitsing and herstructuring. Although there are important differences within and between these different contexts, an international comparison may show that we may be dealing with a single phenomenon: gentrification is a global urban strategy, as Neil Smith put it.
But more importantly, we will discuss resistance against gentrification. Tom Slater researched such resistance around the world and will talk about the various ways in which people have fought against displacement, rent increases and evictions. Activists from different parts of the world will respond to Slater’s presentation. We will make sure to address the recent plans of the Dutch government to transform achterstandswijken (disadvantaged neighborhoods) into prachtwijken (beautiful neighborhoods). It seems almost insane to argue against a policy that wants to create prachtwijken but there is reason to fear that this is just the newest way of legitimizing and promoting gentrification. If so, then how can we try to find alternatives? Is it ambitious enough to fight gentrification or can we promote an alternative understanding of what, exactly, is a ‘beautiful’ or just city?
Also see:
The paper “The eviction of critical perspectives” by Tom Slater in International Journal of Urban and Regional Research
The paper “Gentrification as a global strategy” by Neil Smith in Antipode
Gentrification web:  http://members.lycos.co.uk/gentrification/
 E-Mail: oosterparkbuurt@gmail.com  Website: http://www.slimblijven.nl
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| Read more about: wonen/kraken | | supplements | | international activists | vendetta - 11.09.2007 14:33
you will not have a house in this fucking life
"the only positive to gentrification is being able to find a good cup of coffee when conducting fieldwork" dixit Tom Slater
interesting developement that an activist group is picking up the material of the academics. an international network of activist is then the only thing that is missing.
take for example the spanish network "v de vivienda". it's a quite conclusive take on the defense of our streets against the speculator-machine.
read more?
http://www.vdevivienda.net/
(castellano)
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