Harlem Development/Gentrification Project

Harlem Development/Gentrification Project

2001   | East, Central, and West Harlem, New York

Ten Harlem residents address the rapid transformation of their neighborhood

In the Harlem Development/Gentrification Project ten residents of Harlem were the sources to speak on one of the most talked about communities in the history of New York. Through interviews and questions the participants developed themselves, the residents described the story of their neighborhood concurrent to its dramatic, residential, economic, and cultural transition. Real estate development in Harlem surged in 2000, causing many to title the renovation of formerly abandoned spaces and new commercial properties as a “renaissance.” What exactly was meant by this term “renaissance?” Was it a suggestion of a 15th-century European model of rebirth, a nostalgic reference to the early twentieth century when Harlem was in vogue, or a synonym for gentrification? Woven into ten public works the Harlem Development/Gentrification Project was the voice of ten people addressing transformation in their neighborhood.