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Gentrification: The Good, the Bad, and the Hipsters

PAST EVENT VIDEO
Panel
Building and design experts consider the long-term effects of gentrification on communities and the role of young people.
Speakers
Ghian Foreman
Karl Friedhoff
Marisa Novara
Tim Swanson
Taylor Marr
Event Date

About this event 

Where do we stand on the now familiar and paradoxical narrative surrounding gentrification? While high end development booms have pushed out locals and increased prices in neighborhoods like Pilsen, Brooklyn, and London’s Elephant and Castle, gentrification also provides new economic opportunities. And despite many pointing the finger at young creatives and professionals as drivers of gentrification—introducing a tsunami of overpriced coffee shops, condos, and corporate chains—new trends indicate that they are also being priced out. What are the long-term effects of gentrification on communities, and is urban revitalization possible without it? Are young people causing gentrification, or have they also been disproportionately affected by an unaffordable housing market, growing rent rates, and overpriced grocery stores? 

About the Speakers
Ghian Foreman
Executive Director, Greater Southwest Development Corporation
Ghian Foreman is the executive director of Greater Southwest Development Corporation (GSDC), a community development agency based in Chicago.
Marshall M. Bouton Fellow for Asia Studies
Council expert Karl Friedhoff
Karl Friedhoff was a Korea Foundation-Mansfield Foundation US-Korea Nexus Scholar and a member of the Mansfield Foundation’s Trilateral Working Group prior to joining the Council. Previously, he was a program officer in the Public Opinion Studies Program at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies based in Seoul, South Korea.
Council expert Karl Friedhoff
Marisa Novara
Vice President, Metropolitan Planning Council
Marisa Novara is the vice president of the Metropolitan Planning Council where she manages technical assistance and support to communities facing development challenges related to housing, transportation, transit-oriented and economic development.
Tim Swanson
Chief Design Officer, Skender
Tim Swanson is the chief design officer at Skender, where he leads a team of 10 architects and designers with a focus on integrating design with construction and manufacturing.
Taylor Marr
Senior Economist, Redfin
Taylor Marr is a senior economist, data scientist, and visualization expert at Redfin, the tech-powered real estate brokerage.