Abstract
The pioneers who started the gentrification process have contributed significantly to the activation of gentrified neighborhoods, but are often overlooked in top-down urban governance strategies. We studied the core participants, who were avant-garde café owners, in the initial stage of the commercial gentrification of Mudan Street in Changchun, China. By participatory observations and in-depth interviews, we closely investigated the statuses, behaviors, and preferences of the early gentrifiers, their contributions to block revivals, and the impacts of urban renewal policies on the gentrifiers themselves. Our conclusions are as follows. Most early gentrifiers were young and highly educated. They started the process of gentrification by youth culture production, which exhibited idealistic operating behaviors, such as the decoration of shops, creation of cultural atmospheres, and organization of cultural activities. They were the pioneers who drove bottom-up block renewal, reshaped traditional blocks into youth cultural consumption centers, and stimulated commercial vitality. However, commercialization was followed by soaring rents and increasing business competition that have forced many pioneers with low economic capital to leave. Furthermore, urban governance has had strong impacts on block renewal and gentrification. Inclusive management has promoted bottom-up neighborhood renewal, whereas arbitrary management has quickly destroyed the cultural landscape and business atmosphere, thereby accelerating the displacement of the pioneers. This study provides new evidence for gentrification theories, and offers a practical reflection for urban governance by constructing the profiles of early gentrifiers and discussing the paradox of gentrification in the context of urban China.
Highlights
The concept of gentrification was born in the 1960s with urban regeneration in Western countries, and has been a hot issue for more than half a century [1]
We studied the initial stage of the commercial gentrification of Mudan Street in Changchun from the perspective of the early business owners, who were the core participants
By forming an idealistic youth culture, the young pioneers motivated business vitality; their low economic capital and lack of operating experience left them at risk of being displaced in the stage of gentrification
Summary
The concept of gentrification was born in the 1960s with urban regeneration in Western countries, and has been a hot issue for more than half a century [1]. Unlike the controversial gentrifiers criticized in much of the literature on gentrification, young pioneers were often limited by their economic vulnerabilities, which determined that they would be the victims of gentrification [10] Even so, they were the most dynamic pioneers in gentrified blocks and were able to attract other young people by youth culture productions, as well as motivate more creativity and innovation, thereby promoting the social and economic vitality of the cities [11,12]. They were the most dynamic pioneers in gentrified blocks and were able to attract other young people by youth culture productions, as well as motivate more creativity and innovation, thereby promoting the social and economic vitality of the cities [11,12] As a result, these pioneers, as key pillars driven by innovation and consumption, are being sought out by many local governments and developers in post-industrial economies [13,14]. The following questions will be answered in sequence: Who were the young pioneers? Why did they come to the gentrified block? How did they promote cultural vitality and trigger gentrification? What impacts did the changes in the attitudes and practices of urban governance have on the young operators and commercial gentrification?
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