Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Gay districts as canaries in the gentrification mine
File this on under urban design file and the "he doesn't get it" file.
Jax
Gay activists in Spokane, Wash., are at the forefront of this question. They want to create a “gay district” filled with gay homes and businesses to attract some of the 38 million people economist Richard Florida calls the “creative class” — people like doctors and software engineers who think for a living and prefer places that index high on innovation and diversity.Well, guess what? The folks in Spokane are casting a “Queer Eye Down the Wrong Drive.” Creating “gay districts” won’t draw in business, residents and tourists. In fact, it’ll do the opposite. The creative class Florida talks about is repelled by artifice. And building what amounts to a Gay Epcott Center is the epitome of pretense.Gay activists and straight city planners are misinterpreting the influential economist’s findings. He never said, “Build it and they will come.” He said something more like, “Let them come and they’ll build it.”Look at the success stories that Florida points to — and that Spokane wants to copy: Minneapolis’ Lorin Park, Boston’s Jamaica Plain, Chicago’s Boystown, Atlanta’s Midtown, Washington’s Logan Circle.All have a high “Gay Index.” But these cities didn’t create gay districts. They created incentives to rebuild neglected neighborhoods.They made it easier for urban pioneers to stake out their territory. Gay men tend to be the first to gentrify a neighborhood not because we’re born with a re-decorating gene, but because we’re more willing to risk the dangers of living in marginal areas.Most of us don’t have kids so we’re not worried about living in areas with good schools. And we certainly don’t have girlfriends or wives who’d feel threatened about living in sketchy neighborhoods.Once these neighborhoods are restored to their former grandeur, the danger recedes, good schools approach and the creative class moves in.Sure, there are successful ethnic enclaves. The Latin Quarter in New Orleans, Chinatown in New York, and Little Cuba in Miami are all physical “districts” with shared cultural, linguistic and religious practices.But a gay district would never work because sexual orientation cuts across ethnic, religious and racial lines. What do gays and lesbians have in common other than that they’re romantically attracted to the same sex?The creative class is not interested in gay districts; they’re not even interested in gay people, per se. What they’re interested in are the things that gays value— walkable neighborhoods, mixed-use spaces, the arts, architectural design, variety and eccentricity.Birds of a feather might flock together, but ironicallythe first ones to fly the coop in a gay district will be gay residents themselves. That’s because if you want to see how tacky gay people can be, take a look at what happens when we do things for each other.Ever been to the Castro in San Francisco? Go. You’ll never say “gay districts” and “creative” in the same sentence again. Ever been to a Pride parade? Go. You’ll see better floats at high school homecoming parades.There’s nothing gay about the things gays like in their neighborhoods. What’s gay about wanting racially diverse neighbors? What’s gay about wanting to walk to work?This whole issue reminds me of the old story about miners taking canaries into mine shafts. Florida once described gay urban pioneers as the “canaries” of the creative economy. In other words, the creative class Spokane and other cities want to attract doesn’t care about the canaries as much as they care about what they sniff out.That’s why, instead of “gay districts,” cities should build arts districts. Instead of sexual ghettos, they should build sturdy sidewalks. The laws of attraction don’t include division. Separate But Equal didn’t work and neither will Separate But Fabulous.Artificially constructed “gay districts?” This is one canary that just sniffed the air and keeled over. (Link)
Jax
Gay activists in Spokane, Wash., are at the forefront of this question. They want to create a “gay district” filled with gay homes and businesses to attract some of the 38 million people economist Richard Florida calls the “creative class” — people like doctors and software engineers who think for a living and prefer places that index high on innovation and diversity.Well, guess what? The folks in Spokane are casting a “Queer Eye Down the Wrong Drive.” Creating “gay districts” won’t draw in business, residents and tourists. In fact, it’ll do the opposite. The creative class Florida talks about is repelled by artifice. And building what amounts to a Gay Epcott Center is the epitome of pretense.Gay activists and straight city planners are misinterpreting the influential economist’s findings. He never said, “Build it and they will come.” He said something more like, “Let them come and they’ll build it.”Look at the success stories that Florida points to — and that Spokane wants to copy: Minneapolis’ Lorin Park, Boston’s Jamaica Plain, Chicago’s Boystown, Atlanta’s Midtown, Washington’s Logan Circle.All have a high “Gay Index.” But these cities didn’t create gay districts. They created incentives to rebuild neglected neighborhoods.They made it easier for urban pioneers to stake out their territory. Gay men tend to be the first to gentrify a neighborhood not because we’re born with a re-decorating gene, but because we’re more willing to risk the dangers of living in marginal areas.Most of us don’t have kids so we’re not worried about living in areas with good schools. And we certainly don’t have girlfriends or wives who’d feel threatened about living in sketchy neighborhoods.Once these neighborhoods are restored to their former grandeur, the danger recedes, good schools approach and the creative class moves in.Sure, there are successful ethnic enclaves. The Latin Quarter in New Orleans, Chinatown in New York, and Little Cuba in Miami are all physical “districts” with shared cultural, linguistic and religious practices.But a gay district would never work because sexual orientation cuts across ethnic, religious and racial lines. What do gays and lesbians have in common other than that they’re romantically attracted to the same sex?The creative class is not interested in gay districts; they’re not even interested in gay people, per se. What they’re interested in are the things that gays value— walkable neighborhoods, mixed-use spaces, the arts, architectural design, variety and eccentricity.Birds of a feather might flock together, but ironicallythe first ones to fly the coop in a gay district will be gay residents themselves. That’s because if you want to see how tacky gay people can be, take a look at what happens when we do things for each other.Ever been to the Castro in San Francisco? Go. You’ll never say “gay districts” and “creative” in the same sentence again. Ever been to a Pride parade? Go. You’ll see better floats at high school homecoming parades.There’s nothing gay about the things gays like in their neighborhoods. What’s gay about wanting racially diverse neighbors? What’s gay about wanting to walk to work?This whole issue reminds me of the old story about miners taking canaries into mine shafts. Florida once described gay urban pioneers as the “canaries” of the creative economy. In other words, the creative class Spokane and other cities want to attract doesn’t care about the canaries as much as they care about what they sniff out.That’s why, instead of “gay districts,” cities should build arts districts. Instead of sexual ghettos, they should build sturdy sidewalks. The laws of attraction don’t include division. Separate But Equal didn’t work and neither will Separate But Fabulous.Artificially constructed “gay districts?” This is one canary that just sniffed the air and keeled over. (Link)
