Station North Discussion

 

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The more I learn about Station North, the more I realize that it is not a recent issue. The podcast and the readings show, that there have been ongoing issues in Station North for at 11 years. I also find it funny that the article says "can station north save the city?"At the end of the podcast I believe Kate said that station north needs to focus on saving station north. I like that she said this because there are way too many issues to focus on, then worrying about the whole city. 

I like that in the beginning of the podcast they talked about having black developers. I never thought about who would be creating these ideas and making these changes. We have a predominantly black community, but have white developers saying what needs to happen in their community. Even they do have some black, it is something to look at.

Ben talked about how they have gone years without displacement. When asked about how they will make sure this continues, he really didn't have a plan. I would like to know how will they ensure the security of those residents who fear they will be displaced. A few of the persons on the air talked about tax credits, land trust, etc, but I would like to know about a plan that will be enforced so that residents understand that they don't need to worry. In Jensen"s article he says, "Gentrification without displacement' is the term we've been using," he says. "Gentrification is not per se a bad thing, if you define it as trying to improve an area and draw more people in. It can be a bad thing if it means displacing current residents who've lived in an area their whole lives and want to stay. We want to be able to balance the two." (Jensen)In reading the articles, I am happy that they are focused more on revitalizing, then gentrification. I know Kate talked about having a leveled process. But we have to see what would make those landlords who own buildings or those who are living there to sell or  move. I know that there are some places where prices can't increase for 50 years. I believe that was in the article by Baynard Woods. I would ask Ben what are the push and pull factors that would come during this time of revitalizing. 

A lot of the conversation focused on how they would get the residents involved and how they would make sure that this is a participatory development.  Even though they want to reach the people with murals, poetry, and other forms of art;What happens once you reach them? I would ask Ben Stone, now that they are informed what happens now? In the podcast, they talk about how it is more about the residents communicating with each other. The community needs to communicate with those in the business, developers, and those investing in these projects.

 -Shamara Owens

Community and gentrification

I think that one of the issues with communities, is this sense of belonging. A lot of the times there is a community in place, but if you get nothing from it, it won’t feel like you are apart of it. We talked about how commuters don’t feel like they are apart of the UMBC community. I am a commuter and I do feel like I’m not apart of the UMBC community. In a community there needs to be some sense of togetherness. Maybe if communities reached out more to the people that engage, live, or participate in them people would feel more involved. When you asked us what community we were apart of, everyone had to stop and think. That says a lot right there.

I actually don’t have a problem with gentrification. I love seeing new developments and stores that make the neighborhoods look good. I know that this situation is hard on those who don’t want to adjust or can’t afford to adjust, but it still is a positive thing. I think sometimes people let their neighborhoods go. They throw trash in the street, and stop keeping up with home improvement. I think that it’s cool that someone comes up with a vision to make a neighborhood look better. we might be hesitant to all the changes that come with it, but in the end it was the better decision. 

Right now, I don’t have a project idea for station north. And I feel that could give me an idea. Being from Baltimore and just learning about station North is a problem. Maybe in some way our project can bring more awareness to the area. Maybe in addition to the product, we could start a campaign that encourages people to get more involved in the events that are happening in station north. This could help be a wake up call for our Baltimore community; to see a side of Baltimore they haven’t before and also learn the history behind it.