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0 pointskmlx6y ago0 comments

> Having a Google office with >400 decidedly well-compensated people move in would very much change the neighborhood and not for the better.

i don't understand this. so berlin would rather have poor citizens? how is that better for the city? and how would >400 "well-compensated" people affect the city in anything but a positive manner? has there been any sort of study as to how better wages affect a city?

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CathedralBorrow6y ago

Do you reject the entire concept of gentrification or is there something about this particular instance you have trouble understanding?

odkamkfn6y ago

Not the parent poster, but I certainly reject the concept of gentrification, or at least reject it as something to be avoided.

CathedralBorrow6y ago

That's fair. And you presumably get that other people can have a different opinion so you probably wouldn't be flabbergasted when someone wishes to avoid gentrification. That's what I'm curious about re: parent poster.

sangnoir6y ago

> I certainly reject the concept of gentrification

What do you feel about non-resident Chinese nationals investing in real-estate in your city & driving up prices? I noticed HN tends to be ok with gentrification if it's done by well-paid geeks, but not when the same group gets priced-out.

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robert_foss6y ago

There is a finite and already fully utilized number of domiciles. Adding 400 well off families would undoubtedly displace 400 not so well off families over time.

All while jacking up prices of apartments/food/services for everyone.

Where is the positive net effect for people here? The city&state will earn more tax revenue, but for the neighborhood there's nothing positive that's going to happen.

odkamkfn6y ago

You should look at actual gentrification studies - displacement is almost never as bad as predicted and usually ultimately everyone benefits.

robert_foss6y ago

Show me the data.

mariorossi6666y ago

> so berlin would rather have poor citizens?

not everything is about money

I take "poor citizens" but cultural fecund Berlin anytime over "rich" USA cities with homeless people living on the streets while FAANG workers spend half of their huge salary on mediocre apartments

> and how would >400 "well-compensated" people affect the city in anything but a positive manner?

a city is not only (I would say not at all) the offices of big corporations.

Berlin is also many other things like Köpi or Blu's graffiti in Kreuzberg that he removed few years ago because gentrifiers saw them as a way to keep the place "cool" and raise prices [1]

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/dec/19/why-we...

robert_foss6y ago

cultural fecund.. what an expression.

/me swoons

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

CathedralBorrow6y ago

Do you reject the entire concept of gentrification or is there something about this particular instance you have trouble understanding?

odkamkfn6y ago

Not the parent poster, but I certainly reject the concept of gentrification, or at least reject it as something to be avoided.

CathedralBorrow6y ago

sangnoir6y ago

> I certainly reject the concept of gentrification

1 more reply

robert_foss6y ago

There is a finite and already fully utilized number of domiciles. Adding 400 well off families would undoubtedly displace 400 not so well off families over time.

All while jacking up prices of apartments/food/services for everyone.

Where is the positive net effect for people here? The city&state will earn more tax revenue, but for the neighborhood there's nothing positive that's going to happen.

odkamkfn6y ago

You should look at actual gentrification studies - displacement is almost never as bad as predicted and usually ultimately everyone benefits.

robert_foss6y ago

Show me the data.

mariorossi6666y ago

> so berlin would rather have poor citizens?

not everything is about money

I take "poor citizens" but cultural fecund Berlin anytime over "rich" USA cities with homeless people living on the streets while FAANG workers spend half of their huge salary on mediocre apartments

> and how would >400 "well-compensated" people affect the city in anything but a positive manner?

a city is not only (I would say not at all) the offices of big corporations.

Berlin is also many other things like Köpi or Blu's graffiti in Kreuzberg that he removed few years ago because gentrifiers saw them as a way to keep the place "cool" and raise prices [1]

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/dec/19/why-we...

robert_foss6y ago

cultural fecund.. what an expression.

/me swoons

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse