When Hipster Meets History: Artistic Gentrification in Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh

• In Event: 235 - Regular Session. Community

Abstract

Gentrification, the movement of middle-class or affluent people into working-class and lower-income urban neighborhoods, has been shown to improve some aspects of neighborhood life, but can often have negative consequences for longtime residents. This research examines gentrification through a case study of Lawrenceville, a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that recently has been undergoing revitalization. Through conducting semi-structured interviews with both long-time residents and newer arrivals, this study highlights how community members experience quality of life in the midst of a transition from being a relatively low-income area to a destination spot for the "creative class" of artistic "hipsters," many of whom are students or recent graduates from local universities. Our findings show that the type of gentrification experienced in Lawrenceville is gradual with minimal tension and, therefore, not threatening to long-time residents due to the identity and modest means of the newcomers. In addition, there is evidence to suggest that both new and long-time residents are united on tourist issues that threaten the tight-knit community of Lawrenceville.

Author

• Chloe Brown, American University