Over the past 20 years or so, Elephant and Castle has gone through major change and development, I want to examine the pros and cons of these stages of gentrification
How do you feel about gentrification? Specifically in London
Key concept: Media, Culture and Power
As I’ve lived in London, I have heard many things about the radical change that Elephant and Castle have made in the last 20 years. One word has popped up consistently, Gentrification. While I was relatively familiar with the concept, I was unaware of how it affected London, how it could negatively affect the population, as well as how I might be contributing to it. Gentrification, in its essence, is defined as the process in which an area, typically low income, is urbanized and radically developed through the influx of affluent residents and interest from large corporations. Gentrification is a relatively new concept, as the existence of neighborhoods being radically developed by the influx of wealthier individuals has only been around since the mid 20th century. The topic is very contentious and regarded as largely negative. There are many pros and cons to the idea: While it does help to improve the area in ways of sustainability and improving crime rates, it is also known for driving out residents and cleansing social housing and smaller businesses, specifically tied to ethnic minorities. I will be examining the gentrification that Elephant and Castle has experienced and weighing whether these developments are a positive thing and coming to my conclusion based on the key concepts of: Media, Culture and Power.
(View of Elephant and Castle from my building on Ash Avenue)
The gentrification of London is something that is happening all around the city. Currently, the areas in South London that were once falsely considered low income, rougher areas like Brixton, Peckham and Elephant and Castle are experiencing the process of gentrification. In these specific areas, offshore companies are investing in redevelopment processes, enabling higher income residents to move into the area, attracting new businesses and developers, which then increases property prices, driving out previous residents. The most poignant factor in these areas is that they are considered cultural hotspots within London, homing large populations from Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean, among many others, so the gentrification of these areas effectively “whitewashes” these areas by driving out these cultural and ethnic minorities due to increase in living costs.
In order to understand the history of development in E&C, we must examine the history of the area in order to understand the full effects of gentrification, as well as how the ideas of the media, power and culture play into this investigation. The area was once named the “Picadilly of South London” in the 20th century due to its vitality. The area went through significant reconstruction in the 1960s due to the effects of the Second World War. Before then, middle- and working-class populations increased due to the construction of trainlines and underground extensions, however the area fell into a socioeconomic decline in the early 20th century due to the major dockyards in London being moved further east. However, after redevelopments in the 1960s, the main constructions that became integral to the area were the shopping mall, Coronet theatre, and most importantly, Heygate estate. Heygate social housing held over three thousand people, and were initially attractive places to live, however the estate befell into a culture of poverty and crime, which enabled the perceptions around Elephant and Castle to become ones that were less than enviable.
So we’ve established the “culture” aspect to this exploration, and when examining the source of “power” we can use the Delancey corporation as an example. The Delancey corporation is the main company involved in the redevelopment of the area. They are responsible for the shutdown of the three main attractions in elephant and castle: the mall, the cinema, and the social housing. With the destruction of these cultural hotspot’s integral to the image of Elephant and Castle, their plans include a complete redesign of the area. With the new inclusion of ash avenue and Elephant park directly on the premises of where Heygate estate once stood. Their plans also include a new campus for London College of Communication, my current college. The development plans have already been enacted to some extent and have contributed to the admittable improvement of the area, which some Londoners would call “unrecognizable”. The crime rates have majorly improved, and general appearance of the area has improved as well. Places like the Sainsburys, Gymbox, and Mercato Metropolitano draw in many more people into the area, increasing its affluence greatly.
While these improvements in the area definitely improve the quality of living for someone residing in the area, the wider implications of what this means for people living in E&C before the development plans are imperative to examine in this discussion. With the closure of the shopping mall, many small businesses, predominantly owned by people of color and ethnic minorities, were forced to relocate into places with higher rent or forced out of business altogether. The residents within soon to be demolished social housing were also promised affordable places to live, but in most cases, were never provided such a thing, and generations of families were thus forced out of the area due to extortionate costs of living, causing uproar within the media and those who advocate for social conservation
So, to conclude, we’ve looked at both pros and cons of the gentrification of Elephant and Castle, as well as how the media, and power and culture has affected the public’s outlook on the development of the area. However, it is also important to mention that as someone who has just moved to London, and has somewhat contributed to the gentrification by moving into a Delancy property, my opinion is informed by conversations with those who have lived and experienced the effects of gentrification, leading me to the conclusion that while improvement is necessary and essential to city living, it is imperative that we consider the drawbacks of these developments and how it affects those who are less fortunate.
How do you feel about gentrifying in E&C? I’ve linked some useful webpages here:
Bibliography:
Southwark Notes – whose regeneration?. 2022. HEYGATE TIMELINE. [online] Available at: <https://southwarknotes.wordpress.com/heygate-estate/heygate-timeline/> [Accessed 1 February 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Elephant and Castle – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_and_Castle> [Accessed 31 January 2022].
Watch, C., 2022. Elephant & Castle shopping centre: the battle at London’s gentrification “ground zero” – Corporate Watch. [online] Corporate Watch. Available at: <https://corporatewatch.org/elephant-castle-shopping-centre-the-battle-at-londons-gentrification-ground-zero/> [Accessed 1 February 2022].
Londonist. 2022. In Pictures: The Demolition Of Elephant And Castle Shopping Centre. [online] Available at: <https://londonist.com/london/art-and-photography/in-pictures-the-demolition-of-elephant-and-castle-shopping-centre> [Accessed 1 February 2022].
the Guardian. 2022. ‘We’re going to miss the community’: Elephant and Castle shopping centre closes after 55 years. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/sep/24/were-going-to-miss-the-community-elephant-and-castle-shopping-centre-closes-after-55-years> [Accessed 31 January 2022].