GENTRIFICATION:ACLOSERLOOKATCHARLOTTESCENTERCITY

Introduction
Theprocessofgentrificationdisplacementappearsasanattitudethatoften
separatescommunitiesbypersonalspace.Ontheotherhand,gentrificationtendstotarget
minorityneighborhoodsthatfailtothrive.Basedonrecentstudies,gentrificationchanges
thecharacterofaneighborhood,thereforebecominganareaofvaluecityrealestate
(Wetzel,p.1,2004).Gentrificationbeganintheearly20thcenturywhereunprosperous
developedareasofdowntownmajorcities[bytheprocessdescribedabove]were
deterioratedandfringe(Wetzel,2004).Intheinnercity,disinvestmentwasextendedin
theUSAforaperiodoftenyearsafterWorldWarII.Whilesomestudiessuggestthat
gentrificationisachangeintheclasscompositionofaneighborhoodovertime.This
processisoftentimesassociatedwithurbanlife.Whilenewcomerseffortstoimprove
localconditionsoftheseneighborhoodsareperceivedashostileandracist,theoriginal
residentsoftenfeelexcluded.Inessence,theprocessofgentrificationtendstodisturbthe
workingclass.Thiscasestudyseekstoexploretheperceivedconsequencesof
gentrificationandproxemicpersonalspaceanditsimpactonFirstandFourthWardsin
Charlotte,NorthCarolina.Thestudywillattempttorevealtheeffectsofproxemicsasit
relatestothesocial,physical,andeconomicimpactsofgentrificationinthisarea,which
isintensifiedbydifferencesinrace,class,andculture,oftenresultinginseriouspolitical
conflict(Grant,p.4,2004).
GentrificationandSpace
MikeSheppard(1996)wrotethetermproxemicscoinedbyresearcherEdward
Hallduringthe1950sand1960sdealswithculturaldifferencesintheuseofpersonal

GENTRIFICATION:ACLOSERLOOKATCHARLOTTESCENTERCITY
territory(Sheppard,1996),andhowvariousdifferencescanmakeusfeelrelaxedor
anxious.Americansintuitivelyrespectandusepersonal,public,andsocialspace
(Sheppard,1996).However,asaresultofrentincrease,agapemergedasurbanareas
grew.Thelandscapeonceoccupiedbydeterioratedbuildingsandalowincome
populationclosetoareasofconcentratedeconomicactivitysuchasdowntownjobs,easy
transitaccess,andinterestingolderarchitecturemaypossiblygivetheareathepotential
toattracthigherincomeresidentsorbusinessesthatprovideincome(Wetzel,2004).
Gentrification:Coinedin1963
Gentrificationisatermthatderivesfromgentry(OldFrenchgentries),meaning
thepeopleofnoblebirth.Coinedin1963byRuthGlass,aBritishsociologist,describes
andclassifiesthetransformationoftheeconomic,demographic,commercial,cultural,
andphysicalcharacteroftheneighborhoodsinthecenterofLondon(Saracino,2010).
TheFourQuadrants
ThebackdropofCharlotteshistoryiscenteredonUptowncentercity,whichis
dividedintofourquadrantsorwards.Inthe1970s,thefirst100blocksofthesquarewas
laidoutundertheinstructionofCharlottefounderThomasPolk.Inthe1850s,therural
communityhadbecomecrowdedenoughtobedividedintofoursubsectionsforelection
purposes.ThecityfathersdrewboundarylinesdownthemiddleofTradeandTryon
Streetcreatingaseparatepoliticalwardwithitsownelectedrepresentative.In1945,
Charlotteabandonedthesysteminfavorforelectionatlarge.Charlottesoriginal
neighborhoodsarestillknownasFirst,Second,Third,andFourthWards(cmhph.org).
Oncepredominantlyblackcommunities,thecitysfourquadrantsdatebacktothe
beginningofthe19thcentury(Flono,2006).Thefirstquadrant,whichliesdirectlytothe

GENTRIFICATION:ACLOSERLOOKATCHARLOTTESCENTERCITY
eastoftheintersectionofTradeandTryon,isthequadrantboundedbyNorthTryonon
thenorthwestandEastTradeonthesouthwest(SeePanelAFigure1).Thesecond
quadrantliesdirectlytothesouthoftheintersectionofTradeandTryonStreetbounded
bySouthTryononthenorthwestandEastTradeonthenorthwest(SeeAppendixB
Figure2).OnceknownasBrooklyn,takenfromBrooklyn,NewYorkintheearly
1900s,itrepresentedaselfsustainabletownwithinatown(Flono,2006).Brooklynatthe
timewasthehometosomeofthewealthiestandwelleducated,aswellaspoorand
uneducatedindividualsoftheblackcommunity(Flono,2006).
Bythe1900s,CharlotteresidentswholivedintheFourthWardhadmovedoutto
otherareasoftownsuchasDilworthandMyersPark.FourthWard,theotherquadrant
selectedforthisstudyislocatednorthwestofUptown(SeeAppendixCFigure3).Itwas
resurrectedinthemid1800sasoneofthemoreprosperousareasoftownproviding
homestolocalmerchants,physiciansandministers.FirstMethodistChurch,First
PresbyterianChurch,andSt.PetersEpiscopalChurchareallpartoftheFourthWard.By
the1970s,FourthWardhadfallenintoastateofneglectwithmanyhomesvandalizedor
burned.Nevertheless,inthelate20thcentury,FourthWardsawarestorationandisnowa
thrivingpartofUptown;itliesdirectlynorthoftheintersectionofTradeandTryon.Itis
thequadrantboundedbyNorthTryononthesouthwestandWestTradeonthesouthwest
(cmhpf.org).
Inthe1960s,thecityaddedeast/westconnectorsof4thand5thStreets.Inthe
1980s,shortlyafterrevitalization(renewal)ofthecitysFourthWard,neighborhood
activistsandcityleadersturnedtheireffortstotheThirdWard.Today,ThirdWard

GENTRIFICATION:ACLOSERLOOKATCHARLOTTESCENTERCITY
consistsofoldersectionsplusnewdevelopmentbeyondtheSouthernRailwaytracks.In
addition,majorpartsoftheresidentialareaofThirdWardweredemolished(cmhpf.org).
The1970ssawanendtopoliciesofurbanrenewalthathadclearedmostofCharlottes
deliberatelybuiltshantyhouses.Generallyrelaxed,(enforcement)buildingcodes
allowedlandlordsnottomaintainhouses.Periodically,crackdownscamewhenowners
usuallyprofitedmorebydemolitionthanrehabilitation,whichresultedintheclearanceof
thecitysfinestVictorianresidence.Thefinaldestructioncameatatimewhen
renovationofVictorianhomesbecamehighlypopular.Thecityscommercialcoreon
EastTradeStreetwasleveled,thepresentsiteofNorthCarolinaNationalBank(NCNB)
tower,theCivicCenter(destroyed).Today,theremainingblocksoftheoldWoodlawn
suburbanarea,currentlylocatedattheKnightTheatre,MintMuseum,andtheBechtler
MuseumofModernArt.Mostrecently,FirstandFourthWardinCharlottewas
recognizedastwoneighborhoodsthatexperiencedgentrification(Crump,WBTV3,
2008).
InstitutionBuildingandRebuilding
In1958,theconstructionofInterstates85andI277wastheresultofdislocation
ofearlyAfricanAmericansinCharlotte,NC.Facedwithmassiveurbanrenewalfromthe
late1950sthroughoutthe1970s,theinterstatephysicallyseparatedtheearlycommunity
ofBrooklynsneighborhood.ThecenterofCharlottesAfricanAmericancommunity
wasdemolished,aswhitessoughttoreclaimlandthathadbeenoccupiedbyAfrican
Americansforgenerations.Blackfamilies,businesses,communityschools,andchurches
areforcedtorelocate.AfricanAmericans,inanefforttorebuildthecommunitywould
havetorelyonculturecapital(Griffin,Johnson,&Rhue,p.102009).

GENTRIFICATION:ACLOSERLOOKATCHARLOTTESCENTERCITY
CharlotteHousingComplex
In1967,EarlVillage,aHOPEVIproject,apublichousingunitknownasoneof
themostnotoriousanddangerousneighborhoodsfordrugsandviolenceresidentswere
forcedtorelocateaftertheBrooklynneighborhoodwasdemolished.Withoutthesupport
ofareablackownedbusinesses,thesegregatedBrooklynbecameproblematic.In1995,
aspartoftheprocessofgentrificationitwastorndownduetothecrimeresultinginhigh
underemploymentandpoverty.Today,FirstWardsrevitalizationofEarlVillagehas
becomeoneofthemoredesirableplacestoliveinuptown(cmhpf.org).SteveCrump
(2008)wrote,thecityofCharlottehasexperiencedanincredibledemographicshiftover
thepast25yearsandpartofthatshiftisduetotheexplodinggrowthofthecentercity
(Crump,WBTV3,2008).Nonetheless,theimpactofgentrificationonsomeof
Charlottesolderneighborhoodsiscausinghomevaluestogothroughtheroof.Lately,
recordresearchshowsthepeoplewhohavelivedinthesecommunitiesforyearsare
beingpushedout.Onedrawbackwiththechangesofgentrificationiswealthy
professionalswhoworkinuptownalsowanttoliveclosertothearea,whichhascauseda
relateddisplacementoflowincomeminorities(Crump,WBTV3,2008).Accordingtoa
reportpublishedbytheCityofCharlotteNeighborhoodsCouncil(2004),oftentimesthe
processofgentrificationbringsinyuppies,hipsters,andupwardlymobileminority
householdsthatwouldotherwisehavetoliveinthesuburbs.Mostpeoplearenotaware
oftheimpactthatgentrificationhasonlowerincomeresidentsincentercities(Coates,
2011).
WholivesinFirstandFourthWard?

GENTRIFICATION:ACLOSERLOOKATCHARLOTTESCENTERCITY
IntheRamenmetrossectionofFirstWardlivesthelowerincomeurban
singles.Mostofthemliveinrentedapartmentsorcondos.Somehaveacollege
education;workinservices,andprofessionalsector.Thesecondgroup,knownasthe
urbanbootstrap,occupieshouseholdsinthisarea.Theyarelowersingleparents,who
supportthemselvesandtheirchildrenonalowincome.Mostofthemhaveahighschool
educationorlowerandrenttheirhome.Thethirdgroupiscalledgreenmile,theseare
thepeopleincorrectionalinstitutions.Theseindividualsareconfinedtoprisons,
penitentiaries,orcorrectionalfacilities(U.S.Census,2000).Thefirstgroupsofpeople
wholiveinFourthWardneighborhoodareconsideredhighincomeurbanpowersingles.
Theyarehighlyeducatedprofessionals,andmanyofthemhaveadvanceddegrees,and
drawahandsomesalarythatincludesreasonablelivingexpenseswhilelivingahip,
upscalelifeinanurbancenter.Thesecondgroupiscalledmakingitsingles.Theyare
theupperscalesingles,inthepremiddleagetomiddleagesingleswithupperscale
incomes.Theymaynotowntheirhome,butmostofthemarecollegeeducatedand
employedinmidmanagement.Thethirdgroupiscalledthebrightlights,bigcity,and
theyareverymobilesingleslivinginthecitythatrangeinagefromearly20stomid40s
whohavemovedtoanurbansetting.Mostofthesesinglesrenttheirapartmentorcondo.
Someofthemhaveacollegeeducation;workinservices,andtheprofessionalsector
(U.S.Census,2000).
Myquestion:HowhasthereassignmentofspaceinCharlottescentercitypropelleda
renegotiationofthecitysracial/ethniclandscape?

GENTRIFICATION:ACLOSERLOOKATCHARLOTTESCENTERCITY