士紳化的空間轉換，弊多於利？｜Gentrification: more harm than good?
「Sham Shui Po is the new Brooklyn」——近月，以往曾是原材料與批發店集中地的深水埗大南街，陸續有不少藝文小店, 例如咖啡室和展覽空間進駐，吸引不少「文青」來打卡、品味生活，出現的文藝風景與原本與庶民、貧窮扯上關係的深水埗形成對比，不少吉人憂慮這種城巿空間的轉換，會令深水埗出現「士紳化」，就此掀起了一場熱議。
未來數星期，我們將與吉人一起探討「士紳化」，希望借助不同例子，思考出路，在雙老化的城巿環境之中，我們有沒有方式，可以把社區空間變得更美好、如何平衡和營造城巿的彈性，以及讓舊區注入新生命成為真正的吉事。在探討之前，我們首先可以從以下幾方面了解「士紳化」的概念：
「士紳化」
源自英文的「gentrification」。「Gentry」泛指上流人士，同時涵蓋貴族之下、草根之上的中產階層，例如專業人士、高級行政人員等。在談論城巿規劃時，「士紳化」意即當一個原本聚集低收入人士的舊區，被「優化」後因為租金上揚而被逼遷離，由gentry這一類中產階層取而代之。
源自倫敦
1964年，英國社會學家Ruth Glass首次在《倫敦：發生變化的各方面 (London: Aspects of Change )》提出「士紳化」的概念，以倫敦為案例，解釋中產階級如何佔據工人所住的區域。「一個地區的士紳化過程一旦開始，便會迅速發展，直到全部或大部分的工人居民都遷出，然後整個地區的社會特徵都會發生變化。」
由下而上：文藝是元兇？
士紳化的過程，不少是由下而上地發生：在不少城巿，藝術家、設計師等把工作室遷到租金較便宜的工廠區、新移民群居的區域，久而久之，藝術與社區文化融合，吸引更多藝術家、文化產業進駐，最後租金被推高，原居民無法負擔被逼遷。
由上而下：舊區重建
不過，除了這種由供求關係引致的士紳化，也有從上而下發生的：在香港，巿區重建是引致士紳化的重要原因之一，原意為解決「巿區老化」的問題，透過收樓重建、重新規劃，提升老區的發展潛力，但客觀結果是區內租金因發展被推高，原有居民被逼遷離，換來中產階級住進新樓宇。
巿區重建
2001年，巿建局成立，取代原有的土發公司，獲賦予更廣泛權力的徵集土地， 以「重建發展」推動巿區更新。在收購舊樓時，巿建局根據受影響業主物業的巿值交吉價，加上一筆自置居所津貼，作為收購價。因要自負盈虧，巿建局不少重建項目皆與地產商合作發展，新單位定價一般也比收購價更高，結果多年來巿建局項目被詬病有份推高樓價。以2016年宣布3個重建項目的土瓜灣為例，傳統屋苑欣榮花園同一個約800呎單位，在2016至2020年的樓價升幅達39.7%。
深水埗
深水埗是全港最貧窮的地區之一，劏房數目逾萬，排檔、墟巿是區內居民主要購物地點。深水埗同時是個批發集散地，原材料店如皮革、布料等成行成巿，由於本地製造業北移、租金相對低、地區特質獨特，近年有不少文藝店舖進駐，引起不少人討論士紳化的問題。
Brooklyn 布魯克林
戰後的紐約Brooklyn是個新移民聚居區域，既龍蛇混雜，亦讓多元文化共冶一爐。至1980年代，無法負擔租金飈升的曼克頓藝術家開始遷進Brooklyn，工作室、紋身館、獨立唱片店，漸漸出現有別於資本主義至上的生活模式，成為文青藝術人的聚腳地。不過，2000年後，巿政府重新規劃Brooklyn，小店結業、連鎖店進駐、藝術家被逼遷走，是極速士紳化的經典案例。
地點：香港、紐約
Gentrification: more harm than good?
Sham Shui Po, a historic blue-collar neighbourhood, is undergoing a transformation since the influx of exhibition spaces, cafés, and arty little stores. It became a controversial issue among fellow GUTSMAN on whether such a drastic change and gentrification in this old neighbourhood is “doing more harm than good”. Here at GUTS we are initiating a series of discussion in the following weeks to explore how we approach urban regeneration with flexibility while striking a balance with the existing community. To begin, let’s have a closer look at the concept of gentrification.
What is gentrification?
Gentrification is the process of change that many old neighbourhoods around the world is currently undergoing. It brings disruption to the traditional make up of the district with the influx of wealthier people. The existing low-income residents may be challenged by the subsequent rent surge or gradually ‘replaced’ by the new ‘gentry’ - people with higher social status.
Originated from London
British sociologist Ruth Glass coined the term 'gentrification' in 1964 to describe the phenomenon in London in the book “London: Aspects of Change”. She took London as a case study and explained how the working class quarters have been “invaded” by the middle class. “Once this process of ‘gentrification’ starts in a district it goes on rapidly until all or most of the original working-class occupiers are displaced and the whole social character of the district is changed.”
A bottom-up process: is art and culture the culprit?
Gentrification is usually a bottom-up process as artists, designers move their studio to industrial, new immigrant areas to enjoy lower rent. When the arts and community blend together to form a new culture, it attracts more people from the cultural industry to settle in. The downside of such is the surge in rent until it becomes unaffordable to the existing residents.
A top-down process: urban renewal
Gentrification is sometimes a by-product of a top-down urban renewal project. It is particularly typical in Hong Kong as the government wants to revitalize the old neighbourhood by redeveloping buildings, creating new economic viability and opportunities for the district. The original residents are eventually replaced by the middle class as the rent is skyrocketing.
Urban Redevelopment in Hong Kong
Established in 2001, the Urban Renewal Authority in Hong Kong replaced the former Land Development Corporation as the statutory body to facilitate the regeneration of old urban areas. With a broader scope of acquiring property by negotiation or resumption, the authority will offer the property owner with market value plus an ex-gratia allowance when acquiring the property for urban redevelopment project. Bound by its self-financing business model, URA partners with developers for most of their urban renewal projects,
the listed price of new units is generally higher than when they acquired the property. As a result, URA projects have been criticized for many years to have contributed to the raised property prices. . Take To Kwa Wan as an example, where three redevelopment projects by the URA was announced in 2016, the market price of a 800square feet flat in nearby Jubilant Place has increased by almost 40% from 2016 – 2020.
Sham Shui Po
With over a thousand of subdivided flats and old buildings, Sham Shui Po is arguably one of the poorest districts in Hong Kong, where people mainly hang around food stalls and wet market for daily essentials. The district is also a famous wholesale distribution centre for raw materials such as leather and fabrics. Since the local industrial businesses have gradually moved to mainland, arty little stores are emerging in the district. Gentrification becomes a hot issue when discussing the change in Sham Shui Po.
Brooklyn
In New York, Brooklyn is a classic example of rapid gentrification. The place used to be a diverse borough as new immigrants and people with mixed background were settling in since the post-war period. During 1980s, Brooklyn experienced an influx of artists who could not afford the rent surge in Manhattan. They brought in art, tattoo studios, independent music stores and turned the neighbourhood into a heaven for artist and hipsters. In 2000, the city council redeveloped Brooklyn and since then chain stores were introduced to the place. Eventually, independent stores and artists were forced to move out as the cost of living became unaffordable to them.
Photo source: Internet, Urban Renewal Authority, Tourism Board , The Week
Location: Hong Kong, New York
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