Relationship to place is intertwined to notions of job opportunity, shaping patterns of movement for individuals as mobility becomes a necessity to employment. The demands and expansion of the job market has forced educated individuals like UC Davis graduates out of their hometowns and instead into a flight of movement, seeking a new place to call home. However, within Northern California, soaring costs of living imposes expenses upon any standard of living. Affordability is drawn to mind, shifting consumer preferences to residency in budget-friendly places traditionally associated as “bad neighborhoods.” What is seen as a historical place of disinvestment, often times occupied by people of color, and lower socioeconomic classes, becomes an opportunity. This phenomenon has led to gentrification of neighborhoods such as Oak Park as individuals reconsider a place they can call home.
Development, a phenomenon associated yet isolated from the concept of gentrification does not necessarily carry negative connotations. But, it is crucial to evaluate the new developmental benefits to primary stakeholders—the original residents. Peter Drier states in Place Matters: Metropolitics for the 21st Century, that poverty is a vicious cycle, trapping low-income residents within a place due to lack of job accessibility, poor public schools, and …show more content…
In 2010, a white demographic comprised the majority of the population at 54.7%, respectively (Bureau 2014). The second largest demographic, Black or African Americans comprised 18.1%, while the third largest demographic, “Some Other Race Alone,” comprises 9.4% (Bureau 2014). Since 2000, the white population has increased while the black population has decreased (Bureau 2014). The change in demographics since 2000 has signaled early stages in gentrification as people of color are leaving the community—affecting the housing market and community
Development, a phenomenon associated yet isolated from the concept of gentrification does not necessarily carry negative connotations. But, it is crucial to evaluate the new developmental benefits to primary stakeholders—the original residents. Peter Drier states in Place Matters: Metropolitics for the 21st Century, that poverty is a vicious cycle, trapping low-income residents within a place due to lack of job accessibility, poor public schools, and …show more content…
In 2010, a white demographic comprised the majority of the population at 54.7%, respectively (Bureau 2014). The second largest demographic, Black or African Americans comprised 18.1%, while the third largest demographic, “Some Other Race Alone,” comprises 9.4% (Bureau 2014). Since 2000, the white population has increased while the black population has decreased (Bureau 2014). The change in demographics since 2000 has signaled early stages in gentrification as people of color are leaving the community—affecting the housing market and community