Creation of gentrified space through mental maps

Abstract

Gentrification has been thoroughly studied by scholars, focusing either on the gentrifiers or on the displaced. However, an important group has been less investigated, the people "living through gentrification". Understanding how these people lived through the gentrification and how they relate to the gentrifiers provides important knowledge for understanding the process. Countries like the Netherlands present a convenient scenario to study these groups because of its public policy which prevents original residents from being displaced. The research is situated in this context; it took place in the neighborhood of Roombeek in the city of Enschede in the eastern part of the country. The neighborhood of Roombeek went through an important reconstruction and urban renovation after a fireworks disaster in the year 2000. This attracted a wealthier population to one of the most deprived neighborhoods of the city. The investigation presents an analysis of how the neighborhood has changed and how the new and old residents relate to the different places in it. This was realized by the examination of residents' mental maps, in order to understand how they relate to each other and to the different parts of the neighborhood. Through this methodology, it is possible to understand the neighborhood and how it is perceived by its inhabitants. As a result, the mental maps present interesting outcomes on spaces of integration and segregation, which can be helpful for policy makers who want to create an integrated neighborhood. This case study presents an important contribution to the theory of gentrification since it is focused on a neighborhood that was reconstructed under a participatory process and after a disaster in a mid-size city.