An Analysis Of Neighborhood Revitalization Efforts In Middletowns Downtown And North End Neighborhood PDF Download

The process of urban/neighborhood revitalization involves the economic and physical upgrade of disinvested or blighted urban areas. Over time, these methods have come to involve a wide variety of approaches and practices that seek to reinvest in struggling districts and neighborhoods. The redevelopment of brownfields and the provision of mixed-income housing have been two critical tools of urban revitalization in the United States. Despite the success and popularity of these approaches, criticism has arisen due to the potential displacement of poorer residents (called "gentrification") as a result effective revitalization. The causes, outcomes and methods of avoiding gentrification are widely-debated in both the literature and in public settings. Regardless of actual gentrification occurrence, the perception that it could occur has fostered resistance to revitalization efforts. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, this research analyzes urban revitalization in Middletown, Connecticut through the use of brownfield redevelopment and mixed-income housing development. In analyzing this case study, the researcher investigated whether or not these two methods of urban revitalization are linked with a process of gentrification. This research also addresses how the formation of citizen groups can shape neighborhood revitalization processes through representing the residents of a changing city.