Do you like ‘gentrification’?

For people who go there and experience the new shops etc. they’re always so much nicer than before.@ninalanyon

@Strongtea What about the people who lived there before? Are they still there? can they afford to patronise the new shops, etc.

I think they can every now and then@ninalanyon

@Strongtea Oh, now and then; once they have saved up enough money?

I suppose some people do lose out, but I do think it’s much better for everyone in general. I always get quite nervous if I have to go through a poor area.@ninalanyon

@Strongtea So why not improve the area for those who are already there? Why should anyone lose out?

It’s just the way the world works, there will always be some losers. Some people need to be shown what a nice place is.@ninalanyon

@Strongtea Why is it just the way it works? And why should those who already have the least be the ones to lose?

I’m not sure, I’ve never really thought about it too much, my family are quite well off so we love nice areas with lovely shops and bakeries etc.@ninalanyon

@Strongtea I'm reasonably well off too. And I don't think about it much either. What I do think is that for most people being well off or not is contingent and not within their control. I think that we are all better off when the poorest among us are helped to be less poor, to have more and better opportunities rather than fewer and worse.

Society is not a zero sum game.

And lastly:
What on earth leads you to believe that there is a causal connection between being well off and loving nice areas?

I suppose being well off exposes you to good taste therefore we like nice things. We tend to care more about our appearance I think. We don’t wear cheap awful clothes like certain groups of people (chavs lol!)@ninalanyon

@Strongtea If that is the case then wouldn't you improve the view, even if nothing else, by making the poor better off?

That is actually a very good point. @ninalanyon