Low-Income Residents And The Movement Of Gentrification Through the Bay Area
The paper will conclude with an assessment of the importance of integration in these neighborhoods in the aftermath of urban renovation. In addition, the conclusion of will entail current conditions in Oakland, California in regards to marginalized low-income residents, and the movement of gentrification across the bay area. The emergence of WWII molded the history and development of 20th-century Oakland, California. The economic boom brought on by the second world war provided many with relief from the Great Depression of the 1930s. Oakland was home to the largest sea port in Northern California, and its location transformed the city into a crucial center for the production of goods. The industrial growth in Oakland, led to a surge in population, between the years of 1940-1945 there were almost 100,000 new residents. Population growth was one of many transformations in Oakland, this era also brought on changes in diversity as well.
Before the second world war 3% of Oakland residents were African American. However, with the large population of migration into Oakland of both black as well as white shipyard workers, the black population grew to about 12%. With this new influx of migrant workers, the Federal Housing Administration or (FHA) intervened and attempted to provide reliable housing. Over 30,000 housing units were created within the East bay, allowing the housing of about 90,000 of these migrant workers. (“The Urban Displacement Project”, Miriam Zuk and Karen Chapple ) However, this housing was geared towards white migrant workers, and minorities found themselves excluded once again. The FHA promoted the construction of all-white suburban developments, thereby leaving black families with limited housing options.
Consequently, African American families moved into West Oakland a historically black and impoverished area, which led to overcrowding. The population in West Oakland doubled between 1940-1950. By the end of the year 1950 80% of the black population resided in the same area. The end of World War II brought on industrial and technological change within Oakland, industrial output slowed significantly, creating fewer job opportunities. White residents quickly fled these neighborhoods in search of better work in the nearby suburbs. This phenomenon was coined as “ white flight”, which in turn would shape the future of blacks in Oakland. White flight affected the value of property and in turn added to urban decay; the process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude.(“The Urban Displacement Project”, Miriam Zuk and Karen Chapple ) Oakland was essentially left to rot and the residents there were disregarded as a whole.
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The 1950s brought a considerable amount of racial division and poverty in Oakland. Between 1950-1970 Oakland lost nearly 10,000 jobs and about 23,000 residents, mainly being white residents who fled during “white flight”. (London and Palen, 1984, p. 44) Following the shift in Oakland’s economy and population, those who remained were left with little to no aid, the city was left to perish with no resources. Consequently, the city became impoverished and housed many who could not afford to live in the suburbs. The African Americans who remained in Oakland, molded the city by creating business, local stores, and schools. Many saw this transformation of Oakland and resolved that renovation was the only plausible solution. Programs that advocated for urban redevelopment were constructed. The Oakland Redevelopment Agency, or the (ORA) was founded in 1956 and remained in effect until late 2012.
Plans for the demolition and reconstruction of properties in the areas of West Oakland quickly followed. Perhaps the biggest project was the Acorn Project. Funded by the ORA, this project designated over 50 blocks of West Oakland for demolition, including historically black communities. Furthermore construction did not begin in these areas until 5 years after the immediate demolition, leaving giant barren areas across West Oakland. The Acorn project paved the way for hundreds of proposed “renovation” projects across predominantly black neighborhoods in Oakland. Housing was another key issue within Oakland, after the loss of most of Oakland’s white suburban residents, the property values in many neighborhoods decreased.This transformation created affordable housing as well as rent for the lower-class minority residents.
However, with the emergence of urban redevelopment, and the demolition and reconstruction of many predominantly black neighborhoods, housing values increased. Oakland’s economy has grown alongside the major economic engines across the Bay, including Silicon Valley, where nearly 300,000 jobs have been created since 2010. Economic growth has created many high paying jobs, but it has also generated a demand for lower-wage workers who play a critical role in powering the economy. With the high cost of living, an affordable place to live in Oakland simply does not exist for many of these low-income households and workers. The creation of the Bay Area Rapid Transit or better known as (BART) in the early 1970s created simplified access across the bay area for many residents.
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Low-Income Residents And The Movement Of Gentrification Through the Bay Area. (2023, Feb 09). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/low-income-residents-and-the-movement-of-gentrification-through-the-bay-area/
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