Summary
Can the process of gentrification be controlled? It is often hailed as a sign of social and economic progress. Places which were originally poor and downtrodden are transformed into prosperous and vibrant neighbourhoods. The phenomenon applies to large swathes of London and other cities across the country. David Baker asks whether gentrifying urban areas can retain their diversity and vibrancy. Is there a danger that in the latter stages of gentrification these places become the preserve of the very wealthy, losing much of their original character in the process? What tools are available to urban planners, local and national politicians to avoid this happening? Are there any lessons to be learned from cities in Europe and North America? Is there a new model of urban development emerging or will the British obsession with owning bricks and mortar define the way places become gentrified? Producer: Peter Snowdon.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Thanks for downloading analysis from the BBC. |
| 0:03.2 | Gentrification, the process of neighborhoods rapidly going up markets is occurring in cities |
| 0:07.8 | right across the UK. |
| 0:10.1 | But can and should policymakers control it if it goes too far. |
| 0:14.1 | Here's David Baker. |
| 0:18.4 | It's a pretty grey morning here in Archway in North London |
| 0:21.8 | and there's a huge amount of construction going on around us and a huge |
| 0:25.5 | amount of traffic driving around that construction because this is an area that's really going |
| 0:30.6 | through a transformation on our left here a big 15th. |
| 0:34.0 | Archway is typical of many areas in the UK |
| 0:37.0 | when gentrification is in full swing. |
| 0:39.0 | You can hardly move there for a crane or a new coffee shop, and there's no sign that that frantic |
| 0:44.4 | development is going to stop anytime soon. |
| 0:47.6 | And that's probably good news. |
| 0:49.7 | Gentrification has produced enormous gains for urban areas like Archway. |
| 0:54.0 | Incomers, often young, energetic and creative, |
| 0:57.0 | bring with them new ideas, new business and new money. |
| 1:01.0 | This is a cafe called the bread and bean and it opened what three or four |
| 1:05.6 | years ago now and I think for me it became symbolic of the beginnings of the gentrification |
| 1:10.5 | in archway. Of course now what's happened is we've gone up that |
| 1:13.5 | kind of mainstream step and Starbucks opened about three months ago opposite |
| 1:17.3 | archway tube. When this kind of gentrification accelerates something |
... |
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