Reading Response #3
As a viewer of someone else's work, we can't help but relate their issues to our own. The one work that really caught my eye was "SoMa Now". Not do I see the similarities between San Francisco and Hannibal Square, but also my hometown, Milwaukee. These issues have been going on in Milwaukee for decades and living right outside of the main issue is almost scary at times. If that's what it's like on the outside can you imagine being right in the middle of it all? The article written by Richard Reep really delves into the idea of preservation. The first thing he says is, "Preservation seems like an easy idea to support. Who would be against it?". It is so often that we forget about the people who have lived before us. A new shopping mall, or apartment complex just sounds so cool to have in our communities. Hannibal Square represents this perfectly... built originally for black people in the 1880's, you would think Hannibal Square would remain historic: that is not the case, however.
With Central Florida becoming more and more developed, it was only a matter of time before developers notices the quaint little village of Hannibal Square that sits in the middle of Winter Park. As a developer, you may only see high rent and taxes pouring in, but for the locals, this developing is flipping their world upside down. Gentrification can be defined as: the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste. The word improving really stood out to me in this definition. Are we really improving cities by stripping them of all historic backgrounds? Are we really improving them by relocating all of the original locals? Or is this just a cover up for developers who are trying to make money?
Growing up in very affluent areas has really shown be how cruel people can be. If you step right outside of your perfectly wonderful Mason, Ohio, Mequon, Wisconsin, or Winter Park, Florida, you are stepping into something completely different than your own. Gentrification is something that is overtaking cities like San Francisco and Hannibal Square and we are losing so much rich history from these cities... all for what?
How does gentrification effect not only the community it is occurring in, but its neighboring towns as well?
How does the gentrification that has occurred and is occurring in Hannibal Square effect Winter Park and Rollins?
With Central Florida becoming more and more developed, it was only a matter of time before developers notices the quaint little village of Hannibal Square that sits in the middle of Winter Park. As a developer, you may only see high rent and taxes pouring in, but for the locals, this developing is flipping their world upside down. Gentrification can be defined as: the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste. The word improving really stood out to me in this definition. Are we really improving cities by stripping them of all historic backgrounds? Are we really improving them by relocating all of the original locals? Or is this just a cover up for developers who are trying to make money?
Growing up in very affluent areas has really shown be how cruel people can be. If you step right outside of your perfectly wonderful Mason, Ohio, Mequon, Wisconsin, or Winter Park, Florida, you are stepping into something completely different than your own. Gentrification is something that is overtaking cities like San Francisco and Hannibal Square and we are losing so much rich history from these cities... all for what?
How does gentrification effect not only the community it is occurring in, but its neighboring towns as well?
How does the gentrification that has occurred and is occurring in Hannibal Square effect Winter Park and Rollins?
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