The often celebrated process of gentrification has lost importance in the debate about the city over last years. Why? Because gentrification is no longer an exciting process with an uncertain product at the end. Nowadays we know the result, as we did not twenty years ago. Gentrification means overaged yuppies drinking cocktails, speaking loudly and complaining about every single sound in their street as soon as they finished their last mojito… not a really interesting atmosphere for a city’s further development. An intriguing question is: could there be another result of gentrification? Will there be a next generation of ‘gentrified’ neighbourhoods with a different, perhaps more cultural result instead of commercial result (as far as we can speak about ‘results’)?
The upcoming Berlin neighbourhood Neukölln could be a great example. Neukölln is a collection of hyper innovative initiatives. This makes this city part south of Kreuzberg completely exciting. On first sight nothing special seems to happen, but behind the facades of small houses all kinds of things are going on. Project spaces, concept galleries, mini cinemas and Wohnzimmer bars pop up. Where else would you find a micro gallery dedicated to sound performances, presenting a new piece of conceptual sound architecture every Sunday? Where will you find an in-house flea market or art gallery/cinema/bar at only thirty square meters? Neukölln is mind blowing and definitely inspiring.
Creating new concepts for spaces is the connecting idea behind these initiatives and projects that arise in Neukölln, often done by combining functions that are seldom combined (shop/bar, cinema/gallery space), or by creating new functions from scratch. The bottom line is that Neukölln’s inhabitants show to search for an enrichment of their city’s programme through a combination of entrepreneurship and creativity.
To me this is a brilliant example of gentrification as it is supposed to be. It’s a process lead by private initiatives, that changes the urban programme, rather than the physical appearance of the city. An unexpected context that attracts a new avant garde is created. Neukölln is not imitating what happened before in Berlin’s former successfully gentrified areas like Prenzlauer Berg and Kreuzberg, but finds its own way, adding a contemporary piece to the city.
Later I will write more about a couple of neat Neukölln places.
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I can’t speak for Europe but in the States, these kinds of self-organized, artistic and cultural spaces normally are the progenitors for the kind of ‘gentrification’ that occurs later (expensive loft developments, the displacement of any marginal populations, etc.). It’s as if the arts/culture movements are the pioneer inhabitations that prime otherwise ‘seedy’ spaces for a reinhabitation of ‘clean living.’ (I don’t remember who, at the moment, but some academic author actually wrote an article making artists culpable for gentrification.)
Reading about this city is really fascinating – but I am already getting the bad taste in my mouth with the anticipation of mojitos and yuppies in 5 years time. Do you experience anything similar?
Hi Sam, thanks for your comment!
A neighbourhood like Neukölln has a good chance to go the same way as more gentrified districts (like Prenzlauer Berg). However, Berlin is still a relatively poor city when it comes to economic development (which is a major accelerator behind the classic ‘yuppie’ form of gentrification).
Compared to other cities, like Amsterdam, Berlin is suffering less from space pressure. The more pressure on space, the sooner scarce space will be used for commercial purposes. The existence of big amounts of unused space in Berlin slows hardcore gentification and makes even Prenzlauer Berg still a very interesting neighbourhood. Another interesting fact is the existence of large left-wing anti-gentification communities and initiatives (‘Media Spree Versenken!’ is a good example).
Nevertheless, Berlin’s biggest advantage can slowly become a nightmare. Believing in a constant change, I wonder what post-gentrication will look like.
Thanks again Sam for your contribution. I think you’re definitely right in your comment. We’ve been discussing exactly that issue here at the office. Finally my idea is that there wouldn’t be an endless source of yuppies to live in the city’s cool neighbourhoods. As these groups intensely occupy the latest gentrified neighbourhoods, the now upcoming ones could go another direction, in which more space for a cultural elite is remained. I even could imagine of a certain type of neighbourhoods that are attractive for the cultural elite, but might be too alternative for the ‘mojito class’.
Hi Joop, thanks for this post.
I’m currently living in Amsterdam’s Bos en Lommer. And I have to admit, its not very pretty here. By pretty I mean, as soon as the sun sets, there are gangs of kids watching over every street corner and chronic crime up and down my street. My neighbours and myself are creative and our studio-live spaces have been a target for chronic burglaries, tresspassing, property damage and verbal threats. One of our neighbours was doing robotic workshops with local kids for a while… but was threatened once, then robbed on the night of New Year’s eve. He couldn’t take it anymore and moved out the next day.
Gentrification is in the cards for this neighbourhood, but I’m hesitating to love it or hate it. And questions abound. What are we to do? We have some ideas, but we’re not native Dutch and finding it hard enough just getting our heaters to work… Everything I thought I knew about design and urban planning has been turned upside down.
If you know of any interesting projects that deal with these kinds of issues, please send them my way. I’ll take a look at the ‘Media Spree Versenken!’ mentioned above. We have to be careful though, because we live in it!
Would love to meet and chat about our ideas. I’m eager to get something interesting, experimental and positive going around here.
Best! M.
Hi Mich, Thanks for your comment.
I know the Neighbourhood Bos en Lommer a little and I can understand what you mean in your description. Al together, staying with the topic of gentrification, I think a couple of great thinks do happen there already. Two days ago for example I came across a biological snack bar, an interesting new typology, and great food. I think that these kind of functions introduce a new period for a neighbourhood. But still a lot should happen in Bos en Lommer. I believe that setting up new initiatives, which should come from entrepreneurs, would be the best. Amsterdam lacks cool bars and clubs, like at the picture above, at least there are some chances. We’re always up for having a talk about rethinking this neighbourhood.
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