An Attempt to Democratize Our Right to the City

After reading David Harvey's The Right to the City, I found myself thinking about how his ideas and call to action relates to what I've seen and the cities in which I've lived. Cincinnati stood out to me as an example of not only a city that came from turmoil but a city that is trying to reuse it's surplus for good.

Long story/history short, after riots in 2001, the city took action to improve the most dangerous area of Cincinnati, Over-The-Rhine, just north of the financial downtown district. A company called 3CDC would obtain federal funds through a newly implicated New Markets Tax Credit system and then slowly revitalize areas of OTR. The non-profit organization aimed to (taken from their website)

• create diverse, mixed-income neighborhoods supported by local business
• preserve historic structures and improve streetscapes
• create high density/mixed-use development
• create and manage great civic spaces

3CDC mapped out the area and began buying parcels that were vacant, abandoned, and dilapidated for future growth. Over the past few years the area has become the place to live, work, and visit - farmers markets, movies in the park, gourmet hot dogs, upscale boutiques, eclectic bars, rooftops patios, etc. The growth and revitalization has been fast but unyielding for the prior residents of the area. Although the company is taking measures to preserve the  mixed-income goal, there has been a lot of backlash that they aren't doing enough or that the low-income housing is not affordable enough for low-income families. 

In his writing, Harvey says, "'accumulation by dispossession' also lies at the core of the urban process under capitalism." Although 3CDC is not kicking existing residents out of the area, the people do not feel welcomed and valued in their growing neighborhood. Displacement and gentrification is happening despite 3CDCs goals. Therefore I don't know if the company is accomplishing what Harvey is calling for in The Right of the City.  I'm not sure the process has been democratic and I've found it hard to have an objective opinion on the matter. While I hate that people are being displaced, the new OTR is doing so much to further the growth of Cincinnati. However I do wonder if the company can implement higher standards to better focus their federal funds for existing residents in OTR.