Rights amidst commercial gentrification: a comparative case study of Latinx business zones in Chicago and Santa Ana

ABSTRACT

Gentrification in commercial districts of Latinx communities is raising debates among local stakeholders about how to best pursue revitalization. Through a comparative case study, we examine these debates in the context of the Right to the City and gentefication. How do stakeholders in two Latinx commercial districts envision revitalization projects amidst ongoing gentrification? We analyze the perspectives and policies of non-profit staff, business- and commercial property owners, in Puerto Rico Town Chicago and La Cuatro in Downtown Santa Ana. Our research highlights conflicting views on prioritizing community wellness versus profit motives and the relationship between economic success and cultural preservation.

KEYWORDS:

• Commercial gentrification
• Rights to the city
• Latinx communities

Acknowledgments

We thank research assistants Isabel Ramirez-Flores and Guadalupe Macias for their support in analyzing the content of interviews, field notes, and the bibliography.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Author One’s work was supported by the John Randolph and Dora Haynes Foundation, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences [UL1GM118979; TL4GM118980; RL5GM118978]; and the University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States. Author Two’s work was supported by the Small Business Anti-Displacement Network.