Haute Couture in a working class quarter : The way inhabitants and newcomers experience gentrification in their neighbourhood
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2011-10
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en
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As the quotes show in the beginning of the thesis, gentrification deals with the preferred and the
actual reality of a neighbourhood: an upgrading of the urban space does not always suits local wishes
and thus more attention should be paid to the voices of ordinary citizens. The quotes are part of a
worldwide theory on gentrification and, as many theorists mention, every case of gentrification
evolves in a different way. Klarendal is not the exception.
Klarendal is a small neighbourhood close to the city centre of the Dutch city Arnhem. The
houses in some quarters and around the main roads remind you that the neighbourhood was built in
the 19th century. However, most of the houses were (re)built in the 20th century. The local housing
corporation owns a big share of the housing and so most houses are rental houses. In 2000, the
liveability in Klarendal was at its lowest point. With help from the Dutch government and even the
European Union, the local municipality and housing corporation started making plans for the
regeneration of Klarendal. In seven years 80 million Euros were spent in the revitalization of
Klarendal, half of which went to housing. In 2008, the Modekwartier was set up, in order to bring
business back again into the main street of Klarendal; the local housing corporation invested 20
million Euros in this project. Within three years, this fashion quarter expanded to thirty shops
offering a wide range of luxurious (fashion) design merchandise.
An investigation is conducted in order to understand whether Klarendal is a case of (stateled)
gentrification. Keeping in mind that this could be the case, for both theory and policy, it was also
very useful to know how local residents experience the progress in their neighbourhood.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen