In defense of the 'gentrification building'

How new buildings can actually fight displacement

When many people look at new housing construction, they don’t just see boxy, modern, and bland architecture. They see new buildings that symbolize displacement and gentrification, or the idea that the construction comes at the cost of pushing existing residents out and replacing them with richer, whiter residents. But as Vox policy reporter Jerusalem Demsas explains, new construction in the US can actually help fight displacement.

There’s a growing body of research on what actually happens when we add units of housing to neighborhoods: market-rate units decrease displacement and rents in neighborhoods, while adding strictly affordable units decreases gentrification. And while people may not love the aesthetics of the new architecture, these buildings all look so similar for a reason: it’s the cheapest way to build, at a time when the US needs more housing quickly.

Watch the video above to find out more from Jerusalem Demsas on what these new buildings really mean for neighborhoods across the country, and how more construction — along with policies like rental assistance — can help the US housing crisis.

For further reading, check out more of Jerusalem’s housing reporting:

Along with this video on how zoning laws make building affordable housing so difficult in the US:

Sources:

[takahashi]

"it looks bland, unoriginal, mass produced"
but your house in the suburbs is TOTALLY UNIQUE, right?

[moosesandmeese]

Who would've thought that the solution to a housing shortage was to build more housing?

[andrenicodemus]

“Why do all new apartment buildings look the same?”

Have these people ever seen how single family houses have been looking for like, 100 years?

[Bonifeks]

The only problem I have with the modern constructions is how thin the walls between units are. Living in one of these currently, and I can hear every conversation my neighbor has. I really wish they'd increase the minimum sound dampening requirements between units.

[CoyoteGuru]

<Builds nice housing>
"Gentrification!"

<Builds low income housing>
"Not in my backyard!"

<Builds mid-price housing>
"Too boring! It all looks the same!"

<Gets fed up and doesn't build any housing>
"Why won't someone do something about the housing crisis?!?"

[kalystaortiz]

A lot of those buildings are affordable housing and I’m glad y’all are shedding light on it cuz I know from literally just apartment shopping. I noticed a similar style between all of these buildings and affordable apartments. I think it’s kind of annoying that so many people will jump onto a hate train just cuz and without actually doing research.

[astrea]

There's a building in my neighborhood with the typical "gentrification" architecture but it was built on land donated by a church which turned it into affordable housing apartments and the bottom level has a school that teaches culinary trade skills to low income folks. It's super impressive and I point it out everytime im walking around with out of towers visiting me. I love this type of project so much and it's so badly needed everywhere.

[bobbyc]

These are going up everywhere in Gainesville, FL. Traditionally, students lived in big suburban apartment complexes and rode Vespas to school. Now, they walk to campus from downtown 5 over 1's. It was a lightning quick transformation, and it really brought my social group together because everyone was in walking distance of each other's homes.

[Knightmessenger]

I wish you had emphasized stronger the need for more mixed use zoning locations.
Single family zoning prevents this type of development from being allowed to exist in most places. That makes the neighborhoods where it can be built more expensive and exclusive than they might be than if the same complex was placed somewhere in Tokyo or Amsterdam.

[elia_bartoli]

Americans: "Such boring architecture! These buildings look bland and artificial! "
Also Americans: * build suburbia *

[missink]

I'm in NY and I see a lot these new buildings being built. I didn't need a video to tell me these were made with cost in mind. Personally, I see it as a sign that a neighborhood is improving. More housing=more people=more businesses. It's the dead neighborhoods that are dangerous.

[indignadisima]

As a european I've always been shocked traveling in the US (mostly CA) by the dimensions of single family houses, the dimensions of the neighborhoods, it was just hard to assimilate and to move around. It was interesting to watch this because for us is just the most obvious housing to build. Of course Im not saying that's the best way and we definitely have housing problems in Europe but I don't think we'd have that strong reaction looking at a massive building, it's the norm

[LegendFZorro]

I moved into a massive one of these with my girlfriend. We as Americans really need to start accepting more buildings like these in our cities, as it encourages mass transit use, limits urban sprawl and helps reduce skyrocketing rents by increasing the housing supply. It also helps reduce dependency on cars, as these types are almost always built with essentials within walking distance. The one we moved into has a grocery store in the bottom level, bank and dentist as well. Those would have normally been time wasting trips in a car, but now don’t have to contribute to congestion and pollution. These buildings are a win win over all

[iainronald]

I'm an urban planning student in a medium-sized city in Canada and there's an interesting pattern that happens here. We build affordable housing that is supposed to be rent-capped by the city council to ensure it is affordable, then the landlords in charge get high bids for units and realize that they can get more than the rent cap, they raise the rent from say, $600 to $1100 per unit to meet that new demand, the city does nothing to stop this, the buildings stay forever at 1/3rd occupancy because not everybody can afford that, and affordable housing is considered a failure.

We are just finalizing a revolutionary transit system and have selected several business lots along the routes to be turned into low-income housing, capped again at $610/month. My profs assure me that this same pattern won't repeat with this new housing, but I think it will. I guess we'll see in 5 years.

[electricerger]

I always use the litmus test of "what's this replacing" if you're replacing an apt with a fancy condo, that's displacement, but replacing a single family home with townhouses and multiplexes, then it's increasing the supply.

As you point out, the issue is that housing is frequently framed as a commodity, where an increase in value is always good. But when there's not enough supply (e.g. because of an over-regulated market) then you end up creating crime (e.g. vagrancy).

[oppaheimer]

Am I the only person who actually likes the minimalist, modern design? I find it comforting.

[justaskaulakis]

As an eastern European every building showed looks really good and above average. I'd be really happy to see one coming up in my town lol

[generalcodsworth]

Imagine complaining about a building looking "artificial." When was the last time you saw a brick growing on a tree? Every building is artificial, that's why we build them instead of finding them lying around.

[Austrolopithe]

The point at 5:20 is really important - more higher density housing in an area reduces local housing prices.

That being said, some new housing is constructed as part of broader redevelopment schemes for local areas, which may include amenities and transport links. In _those_ cases, I imagine you do see an increase in prices - even before the new housing as built, as people speculate on the future desirability of an area. This happens a lot in London whenever there is an extension to the Tube planned.

It's rough, because the solution really _shouldn't_ be to leave run-down areas without amenities, transport links or general investment. But as soon as you do, people get priced out - which is why high-density affordable housing everywhere is so important, it's the only way to address geographic deprivation without running people out.

[isaac-shapiro]

Brownstones were designed to avoid the terrible “great fires” that rampaged major cities constructed of wood