Gentrification in Overtown, Miami

GENERATIONS OF GENTRIFICATION IN OVERTOWN, MIAMISIGAL CARMENATE

Henry flaglers overtown

Railroad and hotel magnateInvested in Florida railroads and coastal developmentThe Florida East Coast Railway, connecting South Florida to USA via rail

Employed black laborers, which made Overtown their home

Neighborhood bloom

Harlem of the South, Colored TownSegregation and Jim Crow lawsLand in Miami municipal limits for blacksTowners could own house and landBusiness center; churches, restaurant, nightclubs

Famous, black musicians played in Miami Beach and other venuesLodged in Overtown due to segregation and Jim Crow lawsHistoric area for music and the artsHistoric Lyric Theatre for the black communityLITTLE BROADWAY

A forced exodus

1950s - 60s: Interstate-9510-lane highwayNorth-south artery of MiamiForced people out of homesShut down and stagnated businessesPeople relocated to other areas of Miami-Dade, like:Liberty CityBrownsvilleAllapattahRecognized minority and low-income communities todayOne of many projects to come

Miami WORLD RETAIL CENTER

27-acresOver $1.2 billion projectOver 760,000 sq. ft. retailProposed years ago, halted due to 2008 economyPromise of employment of local residentsNo penaltyScrutinized and suspicious to residents; seen as gentrificationCommunity members demand permanent jobs, but unable to communicate with developers or public officials

Model solution

Dudley Street, Boston1980s disinvestment and white flight city plans of gentrificationDudley Street Neighborhood Initiative to defend neighborhood from redevelopmentCommunity Land Trust (CLT): democratic land ownership by community membersPrevents real estate market pressures and developer goalsCreates affordable housing, community gardens and spaces

Overtown Evolution

SOURCESVillano, D. (2005, September 1). Gentrification fears: Overtown ponders the cost of urban renewal.(DEVELOPMENT). Florida Trend.Grant, B. (n.d.). What is Gentrification? Retrieved April 2015, from http://www.pbs.org/pov/flagwars/special_gentrification.phpSmiley, D. (2014, December 17). Miami Worldcenter Pushes Forward as Site Plans Scrutinized. Retrieved April 2015, from http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article4589791.htmlOvertown (Miami). (n.d.). Retrieved April 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overtown_(MiamiLedford, C. (2011, January 1). Overtown: Inside/Out - Multimedia video journalism from Miami's Overtown community. Retrieved April 2015, from http://overtowner.com/Overtown NET. (2011, January 1). Retrieved April 2015, from http://www.miamigov.com/nets/offices/overtown/about.htmlLittle, J. (n.d.). Neighborhood Transformation. Retrieved April 2015, from http://www.housingissues.org/overtown/hist-his.phpHenry Flagler. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2015, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/miami/peopleevents/pande05.htmlBojnansky, E. (2015, January 30). Community activists push for better wages at Miami Worldcenter site. Retrieved April 2015, from http://therealdeal.com/miami/blog/2015/01/30/community-activists-push-for-better-wages-at-miami-worldcenter-site/Loh, P. (2015, January 28). How One Boston Neighborhood Stopped Gentrification in Its Tracks. Retrieved April 2015, from http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/cities-are-now/how-one-boston-neighborhood-stopped-gentrification-in-its-tracksThe Standard - The "Harlem of the South" in Miami. (2011, September 28). Retrieved April 2015, from http://www.standardculture.com/posts/5324-The-Harlem-of-the-South-in-MiamiLevin, J. (2009, February 1). Bygone days: The sweet music of Miami's Overtown. Retrieved April 2015, from http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/jordan-levin/article1931267.htmlGoogle Images

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