Description
TitleWhose neighborhood is it anyway?
Date Created2017
Other Date2017-01 (degree)
Extent1 online resource (xii, 270 p. : ill.)
DescriptionAt the turn of the century, commercial, and residential development picked up speed and began to transform the physical, cultural, social, and economic landscape of Harlem in unprecedented ways. Today, the term gentrification is coupled with the mention of Harlem. The community is relishing in resources, services, and facilities that were once inaccessible in this section of northern Manhattan. Along with these changes, the population has increased, and Central Harlem has seen its largest share of non-black and middle and upper-class residents in recent history. But, despite the heightened levels of transformation, Central Harlem is still a predominately black working-class community that continues to encounter socio-economic challenges. This dissertation explores the dualism of this reality and focuses on the lived experiences of working-class single mothers who have lived in Harlem for at least ten years, and contrasts their perception of change with that of community leaders who have on the ground experience with community and real estate development. To gain an understanding of the larger processes at play, I also include discussion regarding change as recorded in meeting minutes for the New York City Community Board 10 Housing Committee, Land Use and Landmarks Committee and Economic Development Committee in calendar years 2013 and 2014. Through interviews with research subjects and document analysis, I answer the following questions: what does neighborhood change mean to the working-class single mother, and what role do community leaders play in bringing about neighborhood change? I organize the findings into several key topics that speak to the theories presented in the literature review—poverty concentration, social mix, the meaning of place, affordable housing, place ownership, neighborhood effects, and personal efficacy—challenging some and supporting others. Implications of this research are profound and complex, and will help scholars and planners gain a stronger foothold on the unintended consequences of development and the human response to neighborhood change.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Noteby Colette Michelle Barrow
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
Languageeng
CollectionGraduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.