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Gentrification in Seoul, Korea and Williamsburg, USA

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Thesis Statement

Gentrification results to advantages of development and growth of a community, but it is more

featured as a negative phenomenon whereby people tend to pay more attention to negative issues

that have happened in the town, more than the gradual development which does not have a

significant influence in their living.

Introduction

Gentrification of the inner city is recognized as an international phenomenon and viewed by

many as a solution to challenges facing central ancient towns. In the long-term, gentrification has

been happening throughout the history. According to Ruth Glass, gentrification involved sets of

processes consisting of a change of house tenure from renting to owning, redevelopment of

housing stock, increased prices, and the displacement of the existing population (Doucet 2014,

125). It naturally applies the concept of economics of demand and supply. However, the process

happened in a short-term and gained the name gentrification, a trendy term that got a negative

impression from people. Some people would say that gentrification removed the originality and

diversity of the culture. But, on the other hand, it brings up the issue to the public and brings

awareness to the drawbacks of dehumanization and urbanization. People who felt only the

convenience of the modernization would even re-think of the adverse effect of gentrification.

During the renovation, many disadvantaged residents are displaced. For many decades, urban

change and gentrification have sparked a heated political and analytical debate over the issue of

displacement. The process of renewal is put into considerations when carrying the research

which involves identifying the stages applied in the gentrified neighborhood in the cities. The

comparative approach attempts to initiate if some processes are essential for renewal or they

depend on the circumstances.

The argument will be approved using three supportive ideas through comparison of gentrification

in Seoul, Korea and Williamsburg, New York. Firstly, artist role in the process of gentrification

and how they make the area attractive, increasing floating population. Secondly, the relationship

between social networks services such as Instagram and Facebook and recent gentrification.

Lastly, the linkages between gentrification and displacement of manufacturing local businesses.

Chapter 1.

Artist and the process of gentrification

Role of the artist has played a significant part in in the establishment of gentrification as capital

and culture the key influences in the process. David Ley's work has strongly influenced the role

of the artist as the primary pioneers of gentrification. The aesthetic nature of the artist transforms

the outlook ugliness into a source of admiration (Cameron et al., 2005, 39-49).

Since the 1970s, Williamsburg has led to diversity in New York with signs of gentrification

where there has been the emergence of stores, cafes, and upscale restaurant. The art and galleries

were among the primary triggers of gentrification where the artist came up with large portraits of

drawings and painting attracting many people. The stores and boutiques have played the role of

agents of change with the small-scale chain stores increasing dramatically and the emergence of

corporate capital which suddenly caused the decline of the traditional local store. Many people

started moving into the city influencing the art market to grow tremendously. The new upcoming

stores bring better goods and services which are an implication of the improvement produced by

the new inhabitants of the city. Some of the old stores and bars are challenged by the new stores

and manage to upgrade their merchandise to retain their old customers as they attract new ones.

New stores and restaurants in Williamsburg amuse the residents who enjoy better shopping

opportunities regardless if they are mainstream consumers or self-proclaimed cognoscenti.

Gentrification has led to the arrival of big chain stores in Williamsburg benefiting all residents

(Zukin et al., 2009 48-55).

In Seoul, Korea the process of gentrification commonly takes place in commercial areas rather

than residential neighborhoods like Williamsburg. Young artist own little shops and café which

attract people who seek a humane and analog place to feel the comfort. Korea being a single-race

nation, it does not experience race problems in gentrification unlike in Williamsburg which is a

neighborhood dominated by Latin Americas who feel the struggle when the Whites start setting

up big chain stores which result with the displacement of the local business. Gentrification in

Seoul is mainly contributed by the artist such as musician buskers who perform in the city cafes

attracting vast numbers of people. The stylish performance of music and art led to the opening of

dance clubs which were frequently visited by the young generation which loved the music. Art

galleries around the streets of Garosu-Gil would enhance the development of central related

business offices, photo studios and movie theaters which attracted many young people. The

streets would suddenly change to commercial areas from the distinct atmosphere from the

established theme cafes.

Contrary to the advantages of gentrification in Williamsburg, low-income residents have

experienced tremendous pressure, where the poor, immigrants, elderly and working class are

displaced and move to the city shelter system, either become homeless or run out of the city. It

becomes more difficult for the seniors to remain in the gentrifying town due to the increase in

housing prices with the landlord tripling rents while their income does not. The seniors living in

rent-regulated buildings are pardoned from the increased rent since the buildings receive a tax

reduction, but unregulated buildings do not have protection from the increase. In some other

instances, not all residents are displaced, but as they struggle to survive, they usually have low

mobility rates. The inclusionary zoning program benefits the low-income residents in living in

the gentrifying city.

The adverse effects of change in retail landscape disrupt social bonds with the arrival of new

chain stores which replace the small individually owned shops. With this kind of change,

residents happen o lack a choice if old stores are unable to operate due to the rising rent and

disappear once the lease ends. The long-term residents feel the discomfort when character and

ethnic ownership of stores change leading to a different scenario. Seoul faces the same

consequences as Williamsburg whereby due to the high numbers of people flocking in the city

cause rapid increase of rent, resulting to an artist who built the uniqueness of the town to leave

the city. The colorful places once created by the college students lost its significance to the

capitalist as gentrification limited the genre of the young artist.

Chapter 2

The relationship between social network and recent gentrification

Gentrification is a current issue in Seoul which has taken place in a short-term period, and since

Korea is a country with rapid technological advancement, the social media such as Facebook and

Instagram have played a significant role in the instant trend of gentrification. Korea being a small

country, Seoul is an accessible place from any point and using the phones and electronic devices,

it is easy for any person to locate and visit the gentrified spot. For example, before Garosu-Gil

experienced gentrification, it had emerged as a place for artists, creative designers, and young

entrepreneur. Recently it is one of the trendiest places in the city with large commercial retailers,

and franchise coffee shops and profoundly contributed to the social media. The sites are

adventurous as many people would spend a weekend afternoon in front of a famous café posting

their most preferred bars which have the best cocktails. What distinguishes this places from the

existing ones, is the unique vibe and product they offer which cannot be found at any other site.

Most likely the charm in this places comes from educated Koreans and foreigners who make the

substantial portion of the shops. The hipness in these places is hailed by the media which reflects

on the diversity of consumption spaces which is termed as the “hot place” ((Lim et al., 2013,

147-148). In Williamsburg, social media has played a critical role in advertising the new

boutiques, franchise cafes and the best restaurants. The art galleries in showrooms attract many

customers who can even purchase them through the internet using their phones or electronic

gadgets. Social media predicts gentrification showing that neighborhoods such as Seoul and

Williamsburg which have high deprivation and social diversity are primed for the process of

restoration. The social difference helps to evaluate how a place can connect with people. Social

media assist in investigating displacements related to gentrification where a particular method is

used to harvest data from the social network. The data is analyzed and used to assess the risk of

displacement (Schaefer 2014, 2).

Chapter 3

Linkages between gentrification and displacement of manufacturing local business

The changing structure of the international economy is profoundly influenced by both processes

of gentrification and deindustrialization which is a result of the fundamental change from

production to services. A population of white-collar workers has emerged who are the new

middle class as a result of the shift. The culture and centrality of the inner city have attracted the

new middle class who have suddenly become the dominant force in gentrifying the urban

neighborhoods through the social classes fail to be compatible (Lees 2008, 2455). Gentrification

is taking place in this kind of communities which faced widespread deindustrialization, and due

to the collapse of the urban economies, it has promoted the creation of rent gap which is a causal

factor. The existence of thriving manufacturing enterprises shows that the small business is still

operating in the inner city. The residential conversion to the industrial real estate has threatened

this jobs with displacement. Hence from most accounts of gentrification, the blue-collar

workforce is something that is missing in the gentrified neighborhoods. As much attention has

been put on the recognition of residential displacement due to gentrification, but the

displacement of work has experienced fewer concerns with the changing nature of work in the

neighborhoods (Curran 2004, 1244-1250).

The primary focus is on both Seoul and Williamsburg as industrial cities on the linkages between

the changing natures of work as a result of gentrification. The experience of workers and

manufacturers in the cities illustrate how employment opportunities have changed for the blue-

collar workers linked between gentrification and industrial displacement. Even with the

remaining blue-collar work that tries to survive, gentrification ensures degradation of the

employment. Lack of political and public support for industrial use allows the degradation of the

blue-collar work.

Williamsburg as much as gentrification has increased and encouraged viability of further

development, it has caused industrial displacement. With more new residents settling in

Williamsburg, they create conflicts over land use, converting manufacturing spaces as land

prices increase as well as battling with business owners over, parking, traffic, and noise. Hence

the town experiences more decline in manufacturing sectors than New York City as a whole.

Williamsburg having the largest concentration of industries opposes gentrification since zoning

out of sectors would constrain the ability of many workers not to earn a living. Withholding of

land by the city looked to be purposeful to the residents but the developers scooped the property

to upgrade to real estate. It eventually becomes had for the town to censure land in the

establishment of luxury condos. The city had attracted investors due to its proximity to

customers and the exceptional labor force. Around 20% of the population in Williamsburg

depend on wholesale and manufacturing trade, and these jobs are at risk as the city continues to

gentrify (Newman et al., 2006, 44-50).

In Seoul, as local business start to advance in the cheap neighborhood, visitors with distinctive

style and atmosphere begin to flock slowly, and suddenly other companies start to build-up,

leading to commercialization. Eventually, this development influences the value of real estate to

rise and landlords raising the rent. The vulnerable victims of the gentrification are the designers

and artists who own the local business who are pushed out from their community which was at

first a quiet and cheap area. The spaces where the small business are pushed out are replaced

with fast-fashion brands and large franchise café. Therefore, with such a phenomenon both the

affected residents and business owners pack their bags and leave or find ways to keep up with

the high rent. The government in Seoul metropolitan came up with measures to ensure that

gentrification does not lead to residents being pushed out of there areas and also aid in sustaining

the unique nature of cultural communities. Therefore, small business owners and homes of

original residents will be secured. The measures would ensure voluntary agreement among local

government entities, landlords and tenants to refrain from increasing rents. The government also

helps the tenants who are in business financially in purchasing the real estate they are occupying.

In Gyeongridan, the establishment of beverages and food has rapidly increased as other

businesses such as home repair have experienced a sharp decline. The long-term business owners

cause a different kind of effects to the residents. Some are left distressed since they can no longer

operate their businesses due to the high rents, leading to involuntary displacement and

abandoning of home business. The changing atmosphere of the neighborhood leaves many of the

residents with discomfort. The new area is perceived as just a bunch of restaurant and coffee

shops which offer nothing else apart from food and drinks with no diversity, hence depriving the

old charm with nothing much to do. This results with the residents not relating with the new

cultural and social atmosphere in the neighborhood. In some other instances, the residents take

advantage of the process of gentrification by selling their lands to companies and leave the area

to go and develop elsewhere. Business owners too appreciate gentrification because the young

visitors attracted in the town bring unexpected benefits (Lim et al., 2013, 150-152).

Conclusion

Gentrification of neighborhoods is a phenomenon where low-income residents are displaced by

middle working class as the value of a property such as land increase due to the trend of the

housing market which tends to change from renter to ownership (Slate 2011, 571).

The paper has examined three related supportive ideas on the impact of gentrification citing both

the benefits and consequences faced in both cities of Seoul and Williamsburg. When the full

range of existing materials is brought together, it is possible to get the overview of how

gentrification affects neighborhoods. From the research evidence, it can be perceived that

gentrification has detrimental effects on both neighborhoods. The issue of displacement and the

social problems dominate the impact of gentrification rather than net gain through urban

development or improvement of the physical environment. Therefore, the adverse effects appear

to be relatively many compared to the identified positive impact. In both cities displacement of

manufacturing industries is due to the urban policies and real-estate pressure. Moving of this

business was contributed mostly by the increase in rent by the landlords and competition from

businesses that operate overseas. Multiple business owners would report to their growing and

long-term business potential, but the primary problem was the unstable environment due to the

rising real-estate cost.

The reshaping of the urban space has depended on gentrification to making it attractive to upper

classes. Hence it has resulted in the city losing its vision of allowing manufacturers to survive

and thrive despite the towns being spacious. The value of the land rises with the rate of how hip

the area is which suddenly displaces the people who made the place hip. In conclusion,

gentrification has been having had positive effects and adverse effects, but many of the

residences in both cities would feel the negative effects more than the positive ones. Therefore,

the cost of gentrification leads to the adverse effects such as; displacement, eviction and

harassment, community conflict, homelessness as a result of the loss of affordable houses,

population loss, crime and social displacement (Atkinson 2002, 7-12).

Bibliography

Atkinson, R. (2000) Measuring Gentrification and Displacement in Greater London, Urban

Studies, 37, 1, pp. 149-165.

Cameron, Stuart, and Jon Coaffee. "Art, gentrification, and regeneration–from the artist as a

pioneer to public arts." International Journal of Housing Policy 5, no. 1 (2005): 39-58.

Curran, Winifred. "Gentrification and the nature of work: exploring the links in Williamsburg,

Brooklyn." Environment and Planning A 36, no. 7 (2004): 1243-1258.

Doucet, Brian. "A process of change and a changing process: Introduction to the special issue on

contemporary gentrification." Tijdschrift voor economische en Sociale geografie 105, no.

2 (2014): 125-139.

Lees, Loretta. "Gentrification and social mixing: towards an inclusive urban

renaissance?." Urban Studies 45, no. 12 (2008): 2449-2470.

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gentrification: Land use impacts of the Cheonggye Stream Restoration Project on the

Seoul's central business district." Habitat International 39 (2013): 192-200.

Newman, Kathe, and Elvin K. Wyly. "The right to stay put, revisited: gentrification and

resistance to displacement in New York City." Urban Studies 43, no. 1 (2006): 23-57.

Schaefer, Bryan Patrick. "Social Media to Locate Urban Displacement: Assessing the Risk of

Displacement Using Volunteered Geographic Information in the City of Los Angeles."

Ph.D. diss., University of Southern California, 2014.

Slater, Tom. "Gentrification of the city." The New Blackwell companion to the city 1 (2011).

Zukin, Sharon, Valerie Trujillo, Peter Frase, Danielle Jackson, Tim Recuber, and Abraham

Walker. "New retail capital and neighborhood change: boutiques and gentrification in

New York City." City & Community 8, no. 1 (2009): 47-64.

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