A half-hour ago, on a cool, gray fall afternoon, I observed 15
inner-city kids playing on the new basketball court, 12 kids playing on
the new older-kids playground, 6 kids playing on the new totlot -- all
fruits of the Clark Park Revitalization Plan. Different people hold
different priorities, but in general, I don't think it's wasteful to
direct a little public investment toward inner-city kids every 40 years
or so.
I never ask strange children if they are gentry or not, but I also saw
no evidence today that certain people have, in fact, been pushed out of
the park, just because it's been improved. My friends in the Woodland
Avenue Reunion like the way the park has been upgraded. A better park
attracts people from all over West Philadelphia, every day.
Completely "ungentrified" West Philadelphia neighborhoods, like those
around Clara Muhammad Park and Carroll Park, have also lobbied
successfully for public investments in these public spaces in recent
years. Should our neighborhood avoid doing likewise, solely out of fear
of committing gentrification?
-- Tony West
Lalevic, Darco wrote:
I disagree with the entire Clark Park
revitalization plan. I think it's wasteful at the least,
and at worse, part of an effort to "clean up" the park to
make it more appealing to the gentrification of the
neighborhood and push certain people out.
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