Gentrification Lite

The rich and poor live side by side as city planners and elected officials redevelop Raleigh's toughest 'hoods.

1 minute read

December 12, 2005, 7:00 AM PST

the city of Raleigh is buying blighted properties - sometimes by eminent domain - and turning some of its toughest blocks into places where the rich and the poor rake leaves side by side. These tidy, mixed-income neighborhoods are what some call "gentrification lite." And visionaries like Mr. DeBellis are lining up at the door, one developer says.

...As the downtown housing market heats up, this city of bankers and bureaucrats is at a crossroads, pondering this question: How can social policy curb economic forces so that gentrification does not run roughshod over long-ignored corners and cul-de-sacs?

...To encourage homeowners to make improvements, the city is also offering 'forgivable' home improvement loans of up to $45,000 -- as long as they stay in the house for at least 15 years."

Read the full story: In one Southern city, a twist on gentrification

Sunday, December 11, 2005 in The Christian Science Monitor

Community / Economic Development North Carolina

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