Gentrification & Urban Morphogenesis of San Francisco’s Mission District: Synthesis of the Hispanic Barrio and the Hipster Subculture
Open Access
- Author:
- Wong, Brittany Nicole
- Graduate Program:
- Architecture
- Degree:
- Master of Architecture
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- June 12, 2014
- Committee Members:
- Darla V Lindberg, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
- Keywords:
- gentrification
neighborhood change
urban morphogenesis
authenticity
San Francisco
Mission District
hipsters - Abstract:
- Gentrification is a pervasive and complex urban process of neighborhood change shaping contemporary cities. Production and consumption theories are often used to explain the emergence of gentrification as either an economic or sociocultural process; however, it has been observed that both perspectives are important in explaining, understanding, and dealing with gentrification. Consumption-side explanations focus on understanding the growth and behavior of the middle classes in terms of their tastes and values, and how those are represented through gentrification. Often disregarded as having any significant social merit, hipsters are multifaceted social characters who seek authenticity and individuality through adopting fashions from other cultures. As gentrifiers, they could be conducive to the coexistence of longtime residents and newcomers, and contribute to the slowing of gentrification of a neighborhood. This case study analysis explores the process of gentrification in terms of the role and impact of hipsters as gentrifiers in facilitating or hindering the coexistence of longtime residents and newcomers in San Francisco’s Mission District. Two perspectives are used in this analysis, geographical/spatial (urban morphogenesis) and sociological (expression of authenticity). Taken from geography, the concept of urban morphogenesis lends to the understanding of gentrification by examining the physical and spatial changes to the urban landscape that occur as a result. From a sociological standpoint, the concept of authenticity describes how groups exert power over space through gentrification. The primary data come from qualitative interviews and field observations. Individual interviews were conducted to ascertain the viewpoints of the residents, both longtime and new, as well as the perspectives of visitors to the neighborhood. Field observations were conducted to record existing conditions and physical changes to the built environment as well as social characteristics. The study revealed three key findings: 1) the presence of hipsters as gentrifiers hinders the coexistence of longtime residents and newcomers, 2) there is a physical and social “divide” between longtime residents and newcomers, and 3) hipster wannabes play a large role in the current gentrification of the Mission District. The expression of authenticity by hipsters is demonstrated in the “gentrification aesthetic” and is visible in the demographic data, field observations, and personal interviews. Using the Mission District in San Francisco as a case study reveals that there are significant implications of gentrification for urban economics, politics, and social inequities in the restructuring of metropolitan cities and neighborhoods in the United States. These implications focus on the widening income gap, polarized urban policies that favor the affluent, the affordability crises for low-income renters, and most importantly, the need for architects to be better prepared to address the issues that arise from social, political, economic shifts in urban restructuring as designers of the built environment who require a sense of social responsibility.