Community and the built environment : the physical and social consequences of gentrification in Charlotte’s Lockwood

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Frederick, Q., & Peterson, N. (2021). Community and the built environment : the physical and social consequences of gentrification in Charlotte’s Lockwood. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte Undergraduate Research Journal. https://doi.org/doi:10.55370/urj.v1i1.1305
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Description

This project examined the interactions between community relationships and physical space in Charlotte’s Lockwood neighborhood. Property values in Lockwood are growing at one of the fastest rates in the country and show no signs of stopping. This growth made Lockwood a fitting place to investigate gentrification, an increasingly important issue in Charlotte and beyond. Previous researchers recorded oral histories from Lockwood’s residents during this period of property value increase. Qualitatively coding these oral histories revealed a significant theme: residents consistently mentioned a decline in the neighborhood’s sense of community. Additional interviews and archival research indicated dramatic changes to Lockwood’s built environment. Many of Lockwood’s historic homes have been replaced by new, larger houses with far less emphasis on community building spaces like front porches and backyards. In response, local non-profit Community Dream Builders creatively used Lockwood’s physical space to bring residents together and encourage sustainable growth. The residents’ comments about community interactions were examined through the context of these documented physical changes. Research showed that Lockwood residents rely on informal community building spaces like front porches and backyards to form connections with one another. The loss or obstruction of these crucial spaces was at least an indicator and perhaps an accelerator of social change in the neighborhood. As property values continue to rise, the remaining community spaces in Lockwood should be preserved and expanded.

Details
Title

Community and the built environment : the physical and social consequences of gentrification in Charlotte’s Lockwood

Author(s)

Frederick, Quinton
Peterson, Nicole

UNC Charlotte Affiliate Type

Undergraduate

Extent

1 online resource

Date Published

2021

Material Type

Journal article

Genre

articles

Resource Type

text

Abstract

This project examined the interactions between community relationships and physical space in Charlotte’s Lockwood neighborhood. Property values in Lockwood are growing at one of the fastest rates in the country and show no signs of stopping. This growth made Lockwood a fitting place to investigate gentrification, an increasingly important issue in Charlotte and beyond. Previous researchers recorded oral histories from Lockwood’s residents during this period of property value increase. Qualitatively coding these oral histories revealed a significant theme: residents consistently mentioned a decline in the neighborhood’s sense of community. Additional interviews and archival research indicated dramatic changes to Lockwood’s built environment. Many of Lockwood’s historic homes have been replaced by new, larger houses with far less emphasis on community building spaces like front porches and backyards. In response, local non-profit Community Dream Builders creatively used Lockwood’s physical space to bring residents together and encourage sustainable growth. The residents’ comments about community interactions were examined through the context of these documented physical changes. Research showed that Lockwood residents rely on informal community building spaces like front porches and backyards to form connections with one another. The loss or obstruction of these crucial spaces was at least an indicator and perhaps an accelerator of social change in the neighborhood. As property values continue to rise, the remaining community spaces in Lockwood should be preserved and expanded.

Subjects--Topics

Gentrification
Community development
Oral history
North Carolina--Charlotte

Is Part Of

University of North Carolina at Charlotte undergraduate research journal

Volume

Vol. 1, no. 1

Language

English

Published Version (Please cite this version)

doi:10.55370/urj.v1i1.1305

Publisher's Version

https://journals.charlotte.edu/urj/issue/view/106

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/work:305

Rights

This item may be protected by copyright and other related rights. Atkins Library provides access to this item for educational and research purposes only; other uses require the permission of the copyright holder.