The Precarious Project and the Wasted Opportunity: The Social and Cultural Dynamics of Conflict over Urban Development

Abstract

Much of the research on residents’ responses to urban development projects focuses on their self-interests, specifically economic position or quality of life. We know comparatively little about how social and cultural factors help influence and explain these behaviors, especially under conditions of gentrification. Based on an analysis of people’s reactions toward a development project in Newburgh, New York, an impoverished small city experiencing gentrification, this article reveals the importance of framing for understanding how and why groups support and oppose controversial projects. Although residents largely vary in their stance along lines of social class and race/ethnicity, their perspectives are intertwined with their perceptions of the city either as a place of mistreatment and a collective memory of local injustices (supporters), or as a place of opportunity and a local identity as place entrepreneurs (opponents). This article reveals new explanations for the complex dynamics behind residents’ reactions to urban growth initiatives.