Before gentrification was used to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods, the federal government destroyed and rebuilt to address blight, causing... » More

Before gentrification was used to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods, the

federal government destroyed and rebuilt to address blight, causing

extreme displacement. Extensive criticism of ‘urban renewal’, a U.S.

program of land redevelopment in urban areas involving the destruction

of slum housing, businesses, the relocation of people, and the use of

eminent domain, transformed that program into an ‘urban revitalization’

process following two themes: historic preservation and a romanticized

ethnic identity2. This was a less drastic procedure in which ethnic

communities could be preserved, revitalized or invented more quickly

through ethnically themed urban revitalization as centers of immense

commodification, especially by tourists3. Community-based planning,

geared to community empowerment, is an essential complement to and

control over the top-down processes, but how are communities organizing

to prevent this type of gentrification and what is the role of ethnic

identity in their revitalization efforts? This study examines community

organizing in two low-income Latino neighborhoods, more specifically the

work being done by Barrio Logan’s Barrio Station and San Ysidro’s Casa

Familiar. This study identifies how community based organizations are

working towards equitable redevelopment. Differences in what equity

means for both communities in terms of density are found although a

collective ethnic identity exists in both strategies. The analysis provides

critical insight on local power dynamics, increasing civic participation,

and the differing strategies of the major actors involved.

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