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Analysis/Discussion
Assummarizedinpreviousstudies,thisdiscussionservesasasummaryofthree
examplesofthecasestudiesamongothersusedconsistentlythroughoutthispaper.Thefirstisa
studybyKennedy&Leonard(2001),Lees(2008),andSmith(2013)wholooksattheconceptof
gentrification,theeffectsofgentrification,andsocialmixedneighborhoods.
EnhancingGentrifiedCommunities
Itisbelievedthatbyenhancinggentrifiedcommunitiestheseprocessesallowlowincome
residentswillingtopayandstaylongerintheircommunities(Kennedy&Leonard,2001).The
medianhouseholdincomeinCharlottehasjumpedsincethereportwaspublishedin2012.While
KennedyandLeonard(2001)showthatmostofthelowincomersthriveonasystemof
networks.
Thenewneighborsinthestudythataremovingintocentercityareyounger,mostly
likelyhipsterswhoareattractedtothelatesttrends,andwillchoosetheinnercityaftercollege,
keepingpacewiththeirlifestyleandsocialattitudes(Chessar,2013).Thesharepopulationof25
andolderiseducated.Thisdatamatchestheinformationofthestudies,however,thisdata
estimatesthosethatoccupiedhousingunitsin2013(Chessar,2013).
AccordingtoChesser,thedatashowsacontinueddeclinedinruralpopulation.Thedata
didshowthatpovertyisincreasingincertainsuburbsoutsideCharlotte.Forexample,the
limitationisfindingouthowmanypeoplemigratedandwhichethnicpopulationleftcentercity
creatingadeclineinruralpopulation(Chesser).
ClassDimension:Changinghousingclass

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ThisprobleminsociallymixedcommunitiesisnotatrendspecificallytoCharlottealone.
Severalreasonablefactorscouldcontributetotheprocessofgentrification,suchaspeoplebeing
displaced,whileothersareforcedtomoveorpayhigherrentasaresultofurbanrenewal(Lees,
2008).

Thefocusofgentrificationandclassdimensionofneighborhoodsareaccompaniedbythe

changesofthehousingclasses(Lees,2008).Theethnicandracialcompositionoftheonce
middleclasscommunitiesisshrinking.AccordingtoHenderson&Off(2011),theideaof
movingintoanenvironmentwithoutthesamesocialnetworkorsocialskillsoftenreflectsfear
(Henderson&Off,2011).Lees(2008)arguesthisprocesscouldwork;however,evidenceshows
thegapofpoorandtheaffluentmiddleclassneighborsisbecomingawideninggap.While
LorettaLees(2008)wroteaboutcitylivingandtheexposuretosocialorculturaldiversity,she
seekstoanswertheargumentofgentrificationandtheconsequencesofsocialclasspatterns,and
thesocialbalanceormix.Theproblemwiththisconceptisthatlittleisknownaboutthe
advantagesanddisadvantagesofdifferentkindsofmixingorthelevelsofaffectithasonthe
community(Lees,2008).
Charlotte,from1970to2007,ananalysisofdatashowed,theshareoffamilieswholive
inpoororaffluentneighborhoodinmetroCharlottemorethandoubled,however,thereport
revealsthatCharlotteisbecomingmoreeconomically,racially,andsociallydivided.Thisfacts
showpoorandtheaffluentarelesslikelytoliveneareachotherthestudyfound,whilemixed
incomeneighborhoodsbecomescarcer.Localorganizations,havenoticedthegrowingseparation
betweenpoorandaffluentneighborhoods(Henderson&Off,2011).
TheQualityofLifeStudyestablishedin1993developedtohelpaddressthehealthof
neighborsinCharlotteMecklenburgandkeeptrackoftheprogressofnewurbandevelopments,

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however.Theycannotmonitoreveryindividual,orhowtheywillrespondinthesetypesof
environmentsinordertothrive.Howcannewcomersandincumbentswhoordinarywouldnot
mixcrossingdifferentracesorsocioeconomicstatue(Lees,2008)?
OnewayCharlottehastriedtochangethisperceptionisthroughchangingthe
languagepolicy,byusingtermslikeurbanrenaissanceandurbansustainability,whichare
termsusedtoavoidtheclassstructure,andidentifiesaprocessofoffsettingthenegativeimage
thatisassociatedwithgentrification.However,theprocessofurbanrenaissanceisstill
gentrification.Themarketingaspecttosomeonethatismoreinterestedintheappealofthe
newnessoftheprocessmightacceptthepolicyterm,butitdoeschangetheoutcomeofthose
whoareaffectedbytheoutcome.Mosttheblamehasbeenshiftedonthegovernment,buteach
communityhastodealwiththeissuestheyareconfrontedwith,thereforecallitwhatitis.The
processtogettoanewrenaissanceisgentrification.
Socialmixpoliciesrelyonacommonsetofbeliefs,butwithlittleevidencetosupport
thatmakingcommunitiesmoremixedwillmakelifechangesforthepoorbetter.Thereisa
possibilitythatthisstatementcouldholdsometruth,ifneighborsandcommunitiesarewillingto
becomeneighbors.ThebulkofinformationonsocialmixinghasbeenfocusedontheUnited
Kingdom,UnitedStates,andtheNetherlands.Eachofthesethreecountriesplannedasocialmix
communityaspartoftheirurbanrenaissanceagendas.However,theUnitedStateshaspromoted
socialmixingthroughpoliciesthatseekspatialdeconcentration(relatedtooccupyingor
happeningofspace)ofpoverty(Lees,2008).
Thefindingsof1980to2000forecastoverthenexttwentyyears,Charlotte(Uptown)
centercityregionalpopulationwouldincrease.ThepopulationofCharlottehasreached919,628,
whichisexpected.AccordingtoSmith(2013),gentrificationonlyaccountsforasmallportion.

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Nationallythereisverylittlehistoricalinformationavailableaboutthetheoryofgentrificationor
theeffectsofgentrificationonthosewhoaredisplaced.Theprocessofyoung,professionals,and
themiddleclasswhohavechangedtheirlifestyletoreducetherelativeappealsforasingle
familylife,bygivingupthelifestyleofsuburbanhomes.Theresearcheremphasizethatitisthe
searchforsocialdistinct,whichisthereasonwhythoseindividualsintheseenvironmentsoften
seekopportunitiesofselfexpression.Thereforethecitywillcontinuetoseekoutwaystore
negotiatethecitysracial/ethniclandscape.